VSundargarh youth drowns in Mahanadi as water level rises, rescued just in timeV
Sundargarh: In a dramatic turn of events, a youth was rescued after being stranded for nearly 8 hours on a river island in Kudabaga following a sudden rise in the Mahanadi’s tributary Ib river’s water level in Sundargarh district.
The man was identified as Asit Panda from Bilaigarh village under Bhasma police limits. He was working as a security guard at the barrage site. He had gone to sleep on the dry riverbed island on Thursday night, unaware of the impending danger.
According to information, heavy upstream rainfall caused the river to swell rapidly, submerging the island by morning. When Asit woke up, he was completely surrounded by fast-flowing water with no route to escape. The scene was terrifying—just moments from disaster, with death seemingly near.
After locals alerted authorities, the fire brigade reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. Battling strong currents, they safely rescued Asit after hours of effort. His survival is being seen as nothing short of a miracle.
The incident has sparked concerns over the safety of workers posted near vulnerable riverbanks. Locals blame the absence of early warnings at the site. Thankfully, the youth escaped unharmed.
