2 drown in separate incidents in Odisha districts; bodies recovered

Bhawanipatna/Kanas: Two persons met their watery graves in separate incidents in Kalahandi and Puri districts, yesterday. Their bodies were fished out today.

In the first incident, a youth drowned in Reta canal near Gudialipadar village under Bhawanipatna Sadar police limits of Kalahandi. The deceased was identified as Pritish Panigrahy, the lone son of Priyabrat Panigrahy. Priyabrat is a well-known contractor in the town.

The youth had left his house and told his family that he was going to a nearby canal to take a bath. As he did not return home for hours together, his family tried to contact him over his mobile phone at around 11.00 am. Pritish’s phone did not respond and showed ‘switched off’.

On being informed, local police reached the water body and found the youth’s spectacles, dresses, and his mobile phone on its embankment.

A team of fire services personnel launched a frantic search to trace the missing youth, which was stopped after the fall of night. However, Pritish’s body was fished out today morning.

Bhawanipatna Sadar police seized the body and sent it to hospital for post-mortem. Police have initiated a probe into the incident to ascertain the actual cause of Pritish’s untimely death.

A pall of gloom descended on the locality after news of the youth’s death spread.

In the second incident, the driver of a car battled for life for nearly 12 hours and drowned. The incident was reported from a place near Kotakana Chhak on New Jagannath Road in Kanas.

The deceased was identified as Purusottam Tripathy, who belonged to Puri Sadar police limits.

The ill-fated car probably skidded off the road and got submerged in rainwater at a low-lying area on the roadside. The man could not come out of the vehicle and died, some locals said.

Locals spotted the car driver when they had gone to the spot to wash their bodies after attending the call of nature in the morning. Later, they recovered the body and informed the police about it.

Police have registered a case in this connection and initiated a detailed probe.