Just a few hours before the famous Baliyatra kicked off in Cuttack city, a youth drowned in the Mahanadi on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Irshad (19).
The deceased had come from Bihar for carrying out business at the week-long fair. The mishap occurred in the morning when Mohammad had gone to the river to take a bath.
Getting information, Fire Service personnel along with a police team arrived at the spot and started a rescue operation. After search, they fished out the body and sent it to the SCB Medical College Hospital here for postmortem.
Meanwhile, police were investigating the circumstances leading to the mishap.
Following the incident, the Fire Service deployed five rescue teams to combat any emergency situation. Besides, a powerboat with required life jackets and other equipments were kept in readiness at the riverbank.