11 drowning deaths reported across Odisha in a single day

Bhubaneswar/Berhampur/Sundargarh: Several parts of Odisha reported drowning deaths on Wednesday, with 11 people losing their lives in separate incidents across the state. In Jagatsinghpur district, four youths drowned during Ganesh idol immersion on Wednesday afternoon. Villagers from Oranal village under Krishnachandrapur panchayat had gone to the Brudhanadi river near Gopalpur to immerse a Ganesh idol. The mishap occurred during the immersion when the four youths were swept away by the river. A rescue operation was immediately launched, and the bodies of all four youths were subsequently recovered. The deceased were identified as Sushil Palei, Manjit Swain, Rashmiranjan Nayak and Swapnajit Barik. Earlier in the day, three minor girls drowned in the Sankh river in Sundargarh district while they were bathing. The incident took place at Majhatoli in Salangabahal panchayat under the Raiboga police limits. The deceased were identified as Sibika Sahu (6), Gitika Sahu (6) and Shruti Sahu (8), all residents of Majhatoli. Drowning deaths were also reported from other parts of the state. Two people reportedly drowned in Asika, while one death each was reported from Chandbali and Digapahandi.