2 Separate Drowning Incidents Claim 2 Lives in Odisha

Bhawanipatna/Puri: Two tragic drowning incidents occurred in Kalahandi and Puri districts, claiming the lives of two individuals. The victims’ bodies were recovered the following day.

In the first incident, Pritish Panigrahy, the only son of well-known contractor Priyabrat Panigrahy, drowned in the Reta canal near Gudialipadar village in Kalahandi. He had left home to take a bath in the canal but did not return. His family searched for him but could not find him. They alerted the local authorities, who found Pritish’s belongings on the canal’s embankment.

The fire services launched a search operation, but it was called off due to nightfall. Pritish’s body was recovered the following morning. Bhawanipatna Sadar police have taken custody of the body for a post-mortem examination and are investigating the circumstances of his death.

In the second incident, a car driver, identified as Purusottam Tripathy from Puri Sadar police limits, drowned near Kotakana Chhak on New Jagannath Road in Kanas. It is believed that his car skidded off the road and was submerged in rainwater at a low-lying area on the roadside, preventing him from escaping.

Local residents discovered the vehicle and Tripathy’s body when they went to wash themselves after responding to the call of nature in the morning. They informed the police, who have launched an investigation into the incident and registered a case for further examination.