Two friends reportedly drowned while bathing in the Koel river near Keketa, under Khuntgaon Panchayat in Sundargarh district.
The deceased have been identified as Ashirbad Barik of Sector 8 and Pradeep Tarai of Sector 17.
As per reports, five friends were bathing in the river when two of them slipped and drowned. Despite efforts by fire service personnel to rescue them, the victims were declared dead upon arrival at Ispat Hospital.
The tragic incident has left the local residents in shock, prompting calls for enhanced safety measures at the river ghats.
