Bhubaneswar: In a series of heartbreaking incidents, eight persons, including four minors, lost their lives to drowning across Odisha on Sunday.

In Bhubaneswar, two youths drowned in the Bhargabi river near Saiphan in Balakati on the city’s outskirts this afternoon. The deceased were identified as Ashish Behera and Pranabandhu Mahalika, both employees of a private company in Bhubaneswar.

The tragedy unfolded when one of the youths was swept away by the river’s strong current while bathing. In an attempt to save him, his friend jumped into the river, but also drowned.

In Cuttack, a 13-year-old boy drowned while bathing in the Kathajodi river with three friends. The victim, identified as Suryakant Majhi from the Khannagar area, lost control and was swept away by the river current. Despite efforts by locals to rescue him, Suryakant was pulled from the river and later declared dead at the hospital.

In a separate incident in Nayagarh district, three minor boys drowned in a village pond at Godibida under the jurisdiction of Dasapalla police station.

The deceased were identified as 11-year-old Umakanta Nayak of Godibida village, 11-year-old Ritesh Pradhan of Khalamada village, and nine-year-old Shubha Khilar of Nuagaon village.

Per family members, Ritesh and Shubha had travelled to Godibida village to attend a marriage function. The three boys went to the pond for a bath but did not return. After a frantic search by their families, the boys were found floating in the pond and were declared dead at the Daspalla Community Health Centre (CHC).

Meanwhile, in Keonjhar district, two youths from Kendrapara district drowned in the Musala river near Garagaradabhala village. They were employed at Tata Steel’s Duburi plant.

The tragedy occurred when the two, along with two friends, were climbing a hill to reach a tourist spot. One of the youths slipped and, in an attempt to save himself, grabbed another, causing both to fall into the river. Fire Service personnel were alerted and launched a rescue operation, eventually recovering the bodies of the two victims.