A 17-year-old boy, Rahul Patra, drowned in a pond at Nuasahi under Nayapalli police limits in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. The incident comes amid a series of drowning deaths across Odisha, raising concerns over water safety.
A frantic search operation underway at the Nuasahi pond Photograph: (OTV)
A 17-year-old boy drowned in a pond on Tuesday at Nuasahi under Nayapalli police limits in Bhubaneswar.
The deceased was identified as Rahul Patra, a resident of Patharabandha.
Also Read: River bath ends in tragedy: 13-year-old drowns, another youth swept away in Odisha
According to preliminary information, Rahul had gone to the pond to take a bath when he allegedly entered deep water and drowned.
After receiving information about the incident, Fire Services personnel rushed to the spot and launched a frantic search operation. They subsequently recovered the boy’s body from the pond after striving for nearly an hour.
Nayapalli police have seized the minor’s body and sent it to the hospital for post-mortem.
No comments were received from the local police in this regard.
Further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident are awaited.
Recent Drowning Deaths Across Odisha Raise Safety Concerns
A series of drowning incidents reported across Odisha over the past month has highlighted the risks faced by children and adolescents around ponds and rivers.
On September 16, three girls aged six, seven and nine drowned in the Sankha River in Sundargarh district while bathing.
A day later, reports highlighted multiple drowning deaths across the State, including incidents during religious idol immersion.
On September 18, a 12-year-old schoolgirl drowned in a pond in Balasore district.
More recently, a Class 10 student, Arnab Sahu, drowned in a pond in Khordha district on September 28, while attending a district-level sports competition.
On October 7, two Class 7 girls drowned in a pond in Rayagada district.
Similarly, on October 10, two brothers aged 12 and 14 drowned while bathing in the Aradei river in Keonjhar district, while another boy was rescued in critical condition.
Against this backdrop, the Odisha government had previously identified 169 drowning hotspots and announced plans to train 3,420 Home Guards as lifeguards to strengthen water safety and prevent further tragedies.
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