Drowning Case / Minor Boy Swept Away in Mahanadi River Near Kataka's Jagatpur; ODRAF, Fire Services Launch Search

Kataka, Sep 17: A minor boy went missing in the Mahanadi near Balisahi under Jagatpur police station limits in Kataka after leaving home saying he was going to tuition, a source said on Thursday.

The boy, identified as Divyanshu Nayak, had come to the river with three friends to bathe when he was swept away in the water.

Divyanshu is a student of Guru Nanak Public School. The initial information identifies him as a Class-VII student.

According to the source, the boy had gone to the Mahanadi river with his friends today. While the group was bathing in the river, Divyanshu reportedly drowned and went missing.

Two of his friends were rescued safely by locals. However, Divyanshu could not be traced.

Fire Services, ODRAF Launch Search
After receiving information about the incident, Fire Services personnel reached the spot and launched a search operation. Two ODRAF teams and scuba divers have also joined the operation to locate the missing minor.

Locals said the boys had reportedly been visiting the spot frequently for bathing.

A local resident, Santosh Senapati, said, “The boy is around 13 years old and studies in Class-VII. Eyewitnesses said that three of them came here to take a bath and lost balance. Locals managed to save two out of three, but this boy was swept away.”

Also Read: Trainee Home Guard Drowns In Pond At Jajpur Reserve Lines

Deputy Mayor Flags Repeated Incidents
Kataka Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Damayanti Majhi said the location had witnessed a similar tragedy last year.

“Last year, five kids came to this very spot to take a bath and out of them three drowned. We will closely work with the administration to raise guardrails here so that such incidents do not repeat,” Majhi said.

The search operation is continuing, with rescue teams scouring the river to locate the missing boy.