Bhubaneswar, 05 March (H.S.) : A bathing trip turned tragic on Thursday after two youths drowned in the Mahanadi River near Kandarpur in the Athgarh area of Cuttack district when a group of six friends was caught in a strong current.

The deceased have been identified as Chinmay Das, a resident of Kandarpur village, and Sankalp Rath of Athgarh Sasan Sahi.

According to Police sources , the six friends had gone to the river near Kandarpur for a bath when they were suddenly swept away by a strong current and began struggling in the water. Hearing their cries for help, local fishermen rushed to the spot and managed to rescue four of them from the river.

However, two youths went missing in the water. A search operation was immediately launched by local fishermen with assistance from fire brigade personnel. After nearly an hour of search, the bodies of the two missing youths were recovered from the river.

Following the incident, personnel from the Athgarh police, fire services, and local villagers carried out rescue and recovery operations at the site. The four rescued youths were shifted to Athgarh Government Hospital for treatment.

The tragic incident has cast a pall of gloom over the area, with local residents gathering at the riverbank after the mishap.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda