In a heartbreaking incident, a 25-year-old youth drowned while performing the funeral ritual at the Mahanadi ghat under Tirtol police station limits in Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha. His 55-year-old uncle, who jumped into the river to save him, remains missing as search operations continue.
The tragedy unfolded earlier today when two young men from Nagpura area under Kolara panchayat, accompanied by friends and family, visited the Tirtol Mahanadi ghat to conduct the rites. During the ritual bathing, Kahna Jena, son of Akshay Kumar Jena, slipped and drowned in the river. Eyewitnesses reported that the strong currents caught him off guard while he was immersing himself.
In a heroic but fateful bid to rescue his nephew, Kahna’s uncle, Sampad Kumar Jena, aged 55, leapt into the water. Despite frantic efforts by locals who arrived at the scene, Sampad could not be located immediately. After an extensive search, Kahna’s body was recovered from the river and rushed to the Manijanga Community Health Centre, where doctors confirmed his death.
Local villagers played a crucial role in retrieving Kahna’s body after hours of searching. Meanwhile, Sampad’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Fire brigade personnel and an ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) team have been deployed at the site and are conducting ongoing search operations amid challenging water conditions. Tirtol police are present at the location, investigating the incident and coordinating rescue efforts.
Updates on Sampad’s search will be provided as more information emerges.
