2 minors go missing after drowning in Bansadhara river in Odisha’s Rayagada

Rayagada: Two minors went missing after drowning in Bansadhara river near Minajhola Shaivite shrine of Chandrapur in Rayagada district, today. They have been identified as nine-year-old boy Ratnakar Badanayak and ten-year-old girl Smruti.

According to a source, the two minors had come along with other family members to the shrine to pay their obeisance to the presiding deity on the occasion of the last Monday of Shravan month. They hail from Srirampur village under Kotagada block of neighbouring Kandhamal district.

On being informed, a joint team of local fire services personnel and ODRAF reached the spot and launched a frantic search. However, the minors have not been traced out yet. The search operation was underway till the filing of this report.

Worth mentioning, the Shaivite shrine is located amidst the river. A large number of devotees from the district and outside throng the shrine to perform Jalabhishek rituals.