Hatadihi: Two minor boys drowned while taking bath in Bidyadharpur-Salania main canal at Khaimara under Nandipada police station limits in Keonjhar district on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Manas Kumar Das (15), son of Prahlad Das of Khaimara village, who was studying in Standard X in Pandado high school and Himanshu Kumar Rout, son of Biswajit Rout of Padarukha village, who was studying in Standard IX at Sasanga high school.
According to reports, Biswajit, who was on a visit to his maternal uncle’s house, had gone to take bath in the canal with Manas. However, both drowned and went missing.
When they did not return home late, family members carried out a frantic search and also informed the Hatadihi fire brigade. Soon fire personnel reached the spot and launched a search.
After two hours of ordeal, the fire service personnel recovered the dead bodies of the minor boys floating in the canal.