In a tragic incident in Madhya Pradesh, seven Odia tourists drowned after being swept away by strong currents in a canal near the famed Maa Baglamukhi Temple in Nalkheda tehsil, Agar Malwa district.
All seven victims were residents of the Atmaram Basti area in Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar.
Taking immediate cognizance of the incident, Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg spoke directly with her Madhya Pradesh counterpart via telephone. She also directed the Secretary of the Language, Literature, and Culture Department to maintain continuous coordination with the MP state administration and local officials to streamline relief, rescue, and post-incident formalities.
Chief Secretary Garg expressed profound grief over the tragic deaths, conveyed her condolences to the bereaved families, and prayed for the departed souls. Odisha Chief Minister also directed officials to ensure all necessary emergency arrangements are expedited.
Upon the Chief Secretary’s instructions, Preetish Panda, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Odisha Parivar Directorate, visited Atmaram Basti in Bhubaneswar to meet the grieving relatives. The deceased have been identified as: Shiba Prasad Behera (43); Sai Swarnaprabha Behera (6); Krishna Rajveer (13); Gyanendra Kumar Behera (40); Reetarani Behera (36); Sai Swasthik Behera (10); Radharani Behera (34)
According to official communication from the Collector and District Magistrate’s Office in Agar Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, the bodies are being transported back to Bhubaneswar via ambulances and mortuary vehicles.
To ensure smooth logistics, the MP administration has appointed Revenue Inspector Rahul Jain (Circle Tanodia, Tehsil Agar) as the nodal officer, assisted by Patwari Anup Rajput. They are coordinating directly with Odisha’s OSD Preetish Panda and local police to safely deliver the mortal remains to the victims’ families under the oversight of the Additional District Magistrate of Agar Malwa.
