Tragedy struck a family of Pensionpada here after a man and his two children drowned in the Mahanadi at Daleipada Ghat on Monday. Md Altaf and his son and daughter, who were taking bath in the river, got swept away due to strong current. Soon after, a firefighting team reached the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of locals.Till last reports came in, 15-year-old boy Aftab was rescued from the river with the help of a country-boat and rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. Search operation was underway to trace 40-year-old Altaf and his 13-year-old daughter Ruksana Parveen.
In another incident, a minor boy of the Tibetan community drowned in the Ram river at Mahendragada under the Mohana police station in Gajapati district while he was taking bath on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Chinmay Deba (12). Though his friends tried to rescue him, the strong current in the river swept him away. Fire Services personnel launched a rescue operation but were yet to trace him.