English 
Youth goes missing in Devi river while fishing In Jagatsinghpur; search operation underway
A youth went missing in the Devi river in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district on Friday while fishing with his friends near the Machhagaon area. Fire services personnel later launched a search operation in the river to trace him.
The missing youth has been identified as Sangram Parida of Sukida village.
Three Youths Started Drowning During Fishing
According to sources, Sangram had gone to the Devi river along with four of his friends for fishing on Friday.
During the fishing activity, three of the youths reportedly entered deeper portions of the river and suddenly started drowning after losing balance in the strong current.
Hearing their cries for help, local residents present near the river immediately rushed to the spot and began rescue efforts.
While two of the youths were rescued safely by locals, Sangram could not be brought out of the water and went missing in the river.
Soon after the incident, a large number of villagers and family members gathered near the riverbank as efforts began to trace the missing youth.
Search Operation Continues
After receiving information about the incident, fire services personnel reached the spot and launched an intensive search operation in the Devi river with the help of local residents and fishermen.
Rescue teams continued searching the river for several hours till the last reports came in, though Sangram had not yet been traced.
Family members remained near the riverbank throughout the operation, anxiously waiting for updates from rescue personnel.
Locals Raise Concern Over Repeated Drowning Incidents
The incident has once again brought attention to repeated drowning incidents reported from the same stretch of the river in the past.
Local residents alleged that despite several such incidents occurring earlier, adequate preventive arrangements have not been made in the area.
Villagers said people are often advised not to enter dangerous portions of the river, but claimed stronger monitoring and permanent safety measures are still lacking.
Residents demanded that the administration take concrete steps to prevent such recurring incidents and ensure better safety arrangements near vulnerable points along the river.
