Student goes missing after falling into sewer in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: A 15-year-old student has gone missing after falling into a sewer in Odisha`s Bhubaneswar on Sunday (September 19). The Class 10th student, identified as Jyotirmaya Behera fell into an open sewer in the Sobhagya Nagar area around 2 pm while he was on his way to his tuition riding his cycle.

The search operation lasted for about eight hours. "We have been searching here since 2.30 pm. We hope to find him soon," said Prakash, assistant fire officer from Kalpana fire station.

Jyotirmaya resides in Palamandap area near Baramunda. According to locals, the drain was filled with floodwater and had a turbulent flow. Within a few seconds, he was swept away by heavy flow following torrential rains.

Odisha fire and disaster management teams have been conducting searches at various places. Ajit Kumar Mishra, a local resident blamed the local authorities for not covering the drain properly.

"It is a very unfortunate incident. Today, what has happened is a regular phenomenon in the city of Bhubaneswar. The local authorities are responsible for this. The drain is not covered properly," he said.