Odisha Floods / Watch video: Kandhamal Headmaster rescued after 14 days, survives on water without food

Phulbani, Nov 14: Imagine being trapped away from home for 14 days, with nothing but water to survive. That is what a government school Headmaster from Odisha's Kandhamal district reportedly endured after heavy rainwater entered his school, forcing him to seek shelter in an abandoned house.

In a remarkable rescue, Raikia Police traced and safely brought back Mohan Maharana, Headmaster of Dupa Primary School under Indragarh panchayat, after he remained missing for nearly a fortnight.

Kandhamal: Missing school headmaster rescued after 14 days from Kandhamal Mohan Maharana, headmaster of Dupa Primary School in Raikia block, was rescued from an abandoned house in Ratingi village. He had reportedly taken shelter there after rainwater entered the school on October 29. He was admitted to Raikia CHC in critical condition. #Odisha #Kandhamal #Raikia #Rescue #Landslide #ArgusNews

— Argus News (@ArgusNews_in) November 14, 2026

According to a source, Maharana was at the school on October 29 when rainwater entered the premises. Fearing for his life, he left the school and took shelter in an abandoned house in Ratingi village.

With no immediate access to food, he reportedly survived by drinking water for 14 days.

His prolonged absence raised concern, and villagers of Ratingi eventually alerted Raikia police. Acting on the information, a police team led by Inspector-in-Charge Swarnalata Patra reached the location and rescued the missing Headmaster.

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The teacher was found alive and brought to safety. However, his health condition was reported to be critical following the ordeal. He was subsequently admitted to the Raikia Community Health Centre for treatment.

A video of the rescue shows a group of people escorting a man through a forested, uneven stretch of terrain, highlighting the difficult conditions in which the operation took place.

The rescue has brought relief to the local community, bringing an end to 14 days of uncertainty over the Headmaster's whereabouts.

Cyclone Impact
Across southern Odisha, Cyclone Arnab affected 17 districts in total, damaging 75,388 hectares of crops and 1,672 houses while forcing over 59,000 evacuations across the worst-hit areas. Ganjam bore the heaviest toll, with around 1.5 lakh people impacted across 398 villages (300 cut off), 74,000 hectares of crop loss, 1,000 damaged houses, 12 landslide deaths (including 10 missing presumed dead), and an estimated Rs 500 crore in overall losses. Gajapati saw 711 villages inundated, impacting over 25,000 people and prompting 17,000 evacuations, while Kandhamal recorded 3 landslide deaths and significant flooding.