Jharsuguda: A 27-year-old youth working at Axis Bank in Jharsuguda went missing after accidentally falling into the Bheden river while taking a selfie near a Shiva temple today.

The victim, identified as Bikash Sahu from Brajrajnagar, had visited the Shiva temple under Sodhamala panchayat with six of his colleagues. The group had taken time off due to the state-wide strike, which had caused a slowdown in business activities.

While clicking a selfie near the river flowing close to the temple, Bikash slipped and fell into deep water. A female colleague who also fell into the river was fortunately rescued by a local youth.

However, Bikash remained untraceable at the time of filing this report. Following the incident, personnel from the Fire Services and Kolabira Police launched a search and rescue operation to locate him.