2 drown, 2 missing as boat capsizes in Chilika lake

Bhubaneswar: At least two persons, including a minor, drowned and two others went missing after a boat capsized in the Chilika Lake due to a thunderstorm in Odisha today, official sources said.

The incident took place this evening when around 16 people, including children and women, were on their way to Balugaon from the Kalijai Temple.

Preliminary report said that the boat capsized due to strong winds and rains in the middle of the lake, an official at the special relief commissioner’s office said.

The boat capsized around 6 pm. Our team has traced 11 people. Of these, a minor girl is found dead and the condition of other three was serious, said Balugaon Fire Officer Nityananda Jena.

All eleven persons were rescued by local fishermen, volunteers and fire brigade personnel. While three persons have been admitted at the Balugaon Community Health Centre (CHC), two others were shifted to the Capital Hospital. Rescue teams comprising personnel of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and fire department officers.

Search operation is underway and will continue in the night for the missing persons, Jena informed, adding that senior officials of Khurda and Ganjam district have been monitoring the rescue operation.  Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed deep grief over the death of the minor in the incident. 

He also asked the special relief commissioner and district administrations of Ganjam and Khurda to work in coordination and expedite rescue operation. Patnaik also ordered free medical treatment for the injured.