A joyful tour turned tragic when a 19-year-old student, Ankan Tripathi, drowned in the Kuakhai River near the Baliyatra ground in Bhubaneswar on Saturday afternoon.
Ankan, a resident of Sandhyaneelay village in Keshiyari, West Medinipur, West Bengal, was part of a group of five friends who had come to the city for an educational trip combined with leisure activities.
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, the incident occurred around 4 PM when Ankan, despite warnings from his friends, ventured into the river to bathe. Initially, the water appeared shallow, but Ankan unknowingly stepped into a deeper section and was swept away. His friends, Shubham Mukherjee (19), Debashish Nayak (19), Snehasis (20), and Arkadati Roy (20), all from West Bengal, attempted to intervene but were unable to save him. They immediately alerted emergency services by dialling 112 and sought help from locals.
Local fishermen tried to locate Ankan using nets but failed to find him. After nearly one and a half hours of search efforts, the Chandrasekharpur Fire Brigade, led by officer Chinmaya Barik, recovered Ankan’s unconscious body around 6 PM. He was rushed to Capital Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The Mancheswar police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. Preliminary findings suggest that the absence of safety measures and unfamiliarity with the river’s depth contributed to the tragedy.
This incident has reignited discussions about the need for better safety protocols at popular riverbanks, especially during tourist seasons. Ankan’s untimely death has left his family, friends, and community in shock. His father, Tuhin Shubhra Tripathi, was informed, and arrangements are being made to transport the body back to West Bengal.
The tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the importance of adhering to safety guidelines while engaging in recreational activities near water bodies.
