Bhadrak, Nov 27: In a tragic mishap, a minor girl drowned in a pond while collecting paper boats, floated by villagers on the occasion of Kartika Purnima in a village in Bhadrak district today. 

The heartrending incident occurred at Padhuan village under Basudebpur police station limits in the district. The deceased girl has been identified as Jhansirani Mahalik, daughter of Ratnakar Mahalik. 

According to the information, Jhansirani was collecting floating paper boats by entering a pond when no other villager was present. She drowned in the village. After some time, villagers rescued her and rushed her to the Anantapur Community Health Centre (CHC), where doctors declared her dead. 

On being informed, the Anantapur outpost police went to the village and sent the body for postmortem. After the autopsy, the police handed over the body to the family. 

A pall of gloom descended on the village following the sorrowful incident. 

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