Drowning Case / Andhra Pradesh couple drowns in Baitarani river while rescuing grandchildren in Odisha's Jajpur

Jajpur Town, Nov 12: A couple from Andhra Pradesh drowned in the Baitarani river in Odisha's Jajpur district while attempting to rescue their two grandchildren who were struggling in deep water on Thursday, a source said.

The children were rescued safely, the source added.

The deceased have been identified as M Srinivasa Sulu and M Devi, residents of the Palamaner area of Andhra Pradesh. The couple had travelled to Odisha with five other family members, taking the total group to seven.

According to the source, the family had visited the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar before heading to Jajpur to seek the blessings of Goddess Biraja.

Before visiting the temple, they stopped at Barahanath Ghat on the Baitarani river to take a holy dip. During the bath, two children, a boy and a girl, reportedly began drowning.

Kiran, a relative who was accompanying the family, said his wife first attempted to rescue the children. The children's grandparents also entered the water and tried to pull them to safety but were swept into the deeper section of the river.

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Local residents alerted the fire services and attempted to help with the rescue. Fire personnel subsequently retrieved the couple and rushed them to the Jajpur District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

A priest at the ghat said visitors had been advised against bathing in the river because water levels remained high following the floods. However, the family reportedly entered the river beneath a bridge to take a bath.

The priest said the water was around 20 to 25 feet deep at the spot where the children began drowning. While both children were rescued safely, the couple lost their lives in the attempt to save them.