Elderly man swept away in Nagabali River; third tragic case in 10 days

In a tragic incident, an elderly man was swept away in the strong current of the Nagabali River at Kandhamaligaon village under Rayagada Sadar block on Friday evening.

The missing person has been identified as Penteya Jilakara, a resident of Kandhamaligaon. According to reports, Penteya had gone to graze his cattle in the evening and later went near the river to relieve himself. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and was carried away by the river’s strong current.

“He had gone to graze cattle from where he went to relieve himself near the river. We have no idea how he reached the river and how he was swept away. All family members are currently crying for him,” informed a relative.

On being informed, fire service personnel from Rayagada rushed to the spot and began a search operation. However, despite extensive efforts, the elderly man has not yet been traced. The search operation is still underway.

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The incident has cast a shadow of grief over Penteya’s family and the local community. Notably, this is the third such incident within the past ten days. Just two days ago, a youth from Gurumaguda village under Rayagada Sadar block had also gone missing after being swept away in the Nagabali River.

Residents have expressed concern over the increasing number of such mishaps and have urged authorities to install warning signs and safety measures near vulnerable riverbanks to prevent further tragedies.