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Odisha: On Friday, the Chief Minister’s Office confirmed that two persons lost their lives when a boat overturned in the Mahanadi River near Lakhanpur, located in the Jharsuguda district. Efforts for rescue are currently underway.
The death toll may rise as seven people, including women and children, are missing.The ill-fated boat was ferrying a total of 50 passengers, all of whom were residents of the neighboring state of Chhattisgarh. They were on a journey from Kharseni in Chhattisgarh to Patharseni in the Ambabhona block of Bargarh district for tourism purposes.
The Odisha government has stepped in to offer support to the bereaved families. An ex-gratia payment of Rs. 4 lakh has been announced for the next of kin of each individual who perished in the accident. This incident has brought attention to the safety standards concerning boat travel in the region, prompting a likely review of existing measures in the aftermath.
At the time of reporting, urgent efforts were being made to bolster rescue operations. As of the filing of this report, five expert SCUBA divers along with two underwater search cameras were being urgently airlifted from Bhubaneswar to reach Jharsuguda to join the rescue operation. .
Rescue teams from Bhatli, Bargarh, Lakhanpur, and Sambalpur are also en route. The government authorities said that Coordination of these operations is being handled by the State Fire Control Room.
