The Odisha coastline turned somber today following two separate drowning incidents at Puri and Chandrabhaga beaches.
In the first tragedy, 18-year-old Subhendu Pradhan from Jajpur went missing while bathing with friends near a hotel beach in Puri. Despite immediate efforts by lifeguards after a massive wave swept him away, his whereabouts remain unknown.
Simultaneously, 20-year-old Munu Kumar, a laborer from Uttar Pradesh, drowned near the Chandrabhaga Eco Retreat. Although Marine Police and lifeguards successfully pulled him from the water and rushed him to the Gop Community Health Centre, he was tragically declared dead upon arrival.
With such accidents becoming alarmingly frequent, authorities have issued an urgent appeal to tourists and locals alike: exercise extreme caution and heed safety warnings before entering the sea.