A tense and agonising 34-hour search operation ended in tragedy on Tuesday in Odisha’s Kandhamala district after Fire Services personnel recovered the decomposed body of a missing forest department employee who had been swept away by raging floodwaters.
The deceased has been identified as Pramod Behera, a staff member of the Odisha Forest Department.
The tragic incident unfolded when Pramod and his colleague, Srikant, were navigating through heavy rains on a scooter. As they were crossing the Dam Bridge near Dakapala Sahi—under Ward No. 2 of the Phulbani Municipality—the swollen river surged over the bridge, throwing both men off their vehicle into the deep, turbulent waters.
While Srikant fought against the violent current and miraculously managed to swim to safety, Pramod was quickly overwhelmed by the rushing water and submerged.
Locals who witnessed the harrowing accident immediately alerted authorities. Fire Services personnel rushed to the scene and rushed the injured Srikant to the Phulbani District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), where he received urgent medical attention.
Simultaneously, rescue teams launched an intensive search and rescue operation along the river’s path. Rescue personnel navigated difficult terrain and treacherous water levels for nearly a day and a half before discovering Pramod’s decomposed body trapped under the Patabali Sahi bridge in Phulbani.
Local authorities have sent the body for autopsy, and an investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy as the community mourns the loss of the forest worker.
