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Odisha floods: Death toll rises to 13; schools shut across districts
Over 7.85 lakh people in 1,300 villages in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapada districts have been affected by the floods
Five more people died in Odisha due to floods in the state, taking the toll to 13 as rising waters and heavy rain disrupted life across six districts with schools remaining shut in three districts on Tuesday, officials said.
Over 7.85 lakh people in 1,300 villages in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapada districts have been affected by the floods, according to the latest status report from the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office.
The five latest deaths included three caused by wall collapse and two in drowning-related incidents.
In Keonjhar district, Bhaktabandhu Mahanta was swept away in floodwater at Ghurudia Nala in Telkoi block while going to his agricultural land. His body was found by local residents caught in bushes near Patrasahi ghat.
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In Jajpur district, an 11-year-old boy drowned after being swept away by floodwater on a submerged road in Ichhapur village under Dasarathpur block. The boy was unable to distinguish the flooded road from an adjoining field, both of which were under water. He lost his footing and was carried away by the current. Family members rescued him and took him to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Wall collapse deaths
Two people were killed and two injured when a wall collapsed in Balasore district. In Kapasuda village, 65-year-old Radhika Jena and her 18-year-old grandson died when a wall of a neighbouring house collapsed onto their home. Jena’s 31-year-old son and two-month-old granddaughter were also injured in the wall collapse.
In Mayurbhanj district, a wall of a neighbouring house collapsed onto the home of 52-year-old Birabhadra Mohanta and his wife Hemalata at Badasahi village on Monday. The couple were rescued from the debris using a JCB. Hemalata was declared dead at the Badampahar Community Health Centre, while Birabhadra, who suffered serious injuries, was shifted to the Rairangpur Sub-Divisional Hospital.
The worsening conditions prompted district administrations of Bhadrak, Sundargarh and Jajpur to shut schools and Anganwadi centres on Tuesday.
In Bhadrak, 268 schools in six flood-affected blocks have been ordered closed for the day, while 567 Anganwadi centres in affected areas will also remain shut. Officials said waterlogged roads and adverse weather had made it difficult for students to travel.
Schools and Anganwadi centres have also been closed in Sundargarh because of the forecast of heavy rain and the flood situation. In Jajpur, the administration ordered the closure of all government, private and Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya schools, urging parents to keep children indoors and away from waterlogged areas.
In Kendrapara district, around 300 students at Kulasahi Ashram Residential school continued to remain stranded on the flooded campus for a third day, with water surrounding the school and disrupting access to drinking water, food and toilets, while students also reported snakes emerging from the waterlogged area. Kendrapara Collector Raghuram R Iyer said the students had been moved to the first and second floors of the school building for safety as high water flow made immediate evacuation difficult.
Officials said so far 2.77 lakh people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas to safer locations. The government has set up 531 relief camps where cooked food is being provided, while 99 rescue teams have been deployed across the affected districts.
