1 dead, 7 missing as two boats capsize in Odisha’s Malkangiri

Three migrant workers swam to safety but seven were still missing. Five among the missing were women and the remaining two were children.

Published on: May 25, 2021, 10:20:09 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A child drowned while seven other migrant workers went missing after two boats capsized in Sileru river at Andhra-Odisha border in Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri district on late Monday evening.

One of the boats capsized after hitting a pole like protrusion underneath the water in the river. (Sourced Photo)

Chitrakonda tehsildar T Padmanabha Dora said the incident happened when 30 migrant labourers in two boats were returning from Telangana to their homes in Kandhaguda and Gunthaguda villages in Odisha’s Malkangiri district at night, hoping to avoid testing by rapid antigen tests, made compulsory for people entering the state for the purpose of detecting and containing Covid-19 infections that have spiralled during the ongoing second wave of the pandemic.

“While 19 people came back safely in a boat after finishing their work in Telangana, 11 others [were] travelling in two other boats when the mishap happened. When one of the boats capsized after hitting a pole underneath the water, panic-stricken occupants jumped to the other fishing boat to save their lives. But it too gave in and sank in the river,” said the tehsildar.

A team of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force later recovered the body of a child from the river. While three migrant workers swam to safety, seven were missing. Five among the missing were women and the remaining two were children.

The incident comes just days after a boat capsized in the Sileru river near the banks of Orapadar village in Andrapali gram panchayat of Malkangiri.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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