2 women meet watery grave in village pond in Odisha’s Kandhamal

G.Udayagiri /Kandhamal: In a tragic incident, two women drowned to death while bathing in a newly dug out pound in G. Udayagiri block of Kandhamal district in Odisha here today. The deceased were identified as Kuramuni Pradhan (57) and Surjyakanti Pradhan (40) of Lingagarh panchayat in the block.

As per reports, villagers in Lingagarh had gathered at various water bodies to bath for a local puja. Kuramuni and Surjyakanti too had gone for a bath at a pond recently built in the area near Kutulumbha. However, while bathing, Kuramuni slipped and drowned. Surjyakanti, in an effort to save her, ventured into the water to save her but she too met with a similar fate.

Sometime later, a woman from the same village went to have a bath. She noticed that personal belongings of the duo was there near the pond but both of them were nowhere to be seen. Suspecting some mishap, she informed the sarpanch who reached the place with fire services personnel. Under the direction of official Manoranjan Padhi, the rescue operations began and the bodies of women recovered. They were immediately rushed to the community health centre but doctors declared them dead.

Meanwhile, two separate cases of un-natural death have been registered. Investigation is underway, police said.