Berhampur: A pall of gloom descended on Panchama village under Golanthara police station limits of Ganjam district this afternoon following the death of two minor boys during an idol immersion.
A group of villagers along with the two minors went to the village pond to immerse the idol of Lord Ganesh today. However, two 12-year-old boys accidentally slipped into the deep water of the pond and drowned.
Both the boys had breathed their lasts before they were rescued by others, said sources adding that the deceased have been identified as Soumya Pradhan, the son of Krushna Chandra Pradhan, and Aditya Sethy, the son of Vinod Sethy.
Local police is said to have started an investigation into the matter.