Six drown after Holi celebration at separate places in Odisha

Bhubaneswar/ Rourkela, Mar 4 (PTI) At least six people, including four minors, drowned while taking a bath after celebrating Holi at separate places in Odisha on Wednesday, police said.

While two such incidents took place in Jajpur and Sundergarh districts, one each drowned in Cuttack and Keonjhar districts.

A report from Sundergarh district’s Kutra area said that two minors drowned in a pond near Litibeda village. They were identified as Abhijit Toppo (6) and his seven-year-old cousin Jisam Toppo, who had gone for a bath after playing Holi.

Police said their bodies were found floating in the pond when the family members started searching for the children.

Similarly, Sangram Ajitabh Das and Hiranya Kumar Behuria, residents of Jajpur Road and Bari areas, respectively, drowned while bathing in separate rivers in Jajpur district, police said.

A report from Cuttack district said that a boy, identified as Jeevan Behera, drowned while bathing in the Mahanadi river in Baramba area along with friends. He was swept away by the river current, police said.

Fire Service personnel found the minor and took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, police said.

In another similar incident in Jhumpura area of Keonjhar district, seven-year-old Anku Gop drowned while bathing in a pond after playing Holi. The child, hailing from Sijukala village, had come to his maternal uncle’s house. PTI COR AAM NN