NIT Rourkela student missing after being swept away at Kanhakund; search on for over 19 hours

A student of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, went missing after being swept away by a strong current while bathing at Kanhakund on the IB river in Odisha’s Sundargarh district on Saturday. Search operations continued at the site on Sunday, more than 19 hours after the incident.

The missing student has been identified as Deepesh Pradhan, a native of the Dunguri area in Bargarh district.

Swept Away by Strong Current

According to reports, Deepesh had gone to Kanhakund, a popular natural canyon, along with four of his friends. All five reportedly entered the stone-bed area of the river and were bathing when the incident occurred.

During the course of bathing, Deepesh is said to have lost his grip on a rock and was swept away by the strong current within moments. His friends immediately raised an alarm and informed local authorities.

Rescue Efforts Continue

Following the alert, a search and rescue operation was launched at the site. A police team from the Sundargarh sub-division, along with fire service personnel from Subdega and Balisankara, and forest department staff from Rauldega, rushed to the spot and began search operations in the river and surrounding areas.

Despite continuous efforts by multiple teams, there has been no information on Deepesh’s whereabouts so far. Officials said challenging river conditions and strong currents have been hampering the search operation.