70 people were rescued on Saturday in Odisha’s Kendrapara district after a boat capsized near the mouth of the sea due to a strong current in the Mahanadi river. The incident happened in Mahakalpada on Saturday evening. No casualties have been reported in the incident.
Mahakalpada Marine Police Officer Prakash Chandra Sahu told ANI, “Due to the heavy current, the boat sank near the mouth of the sea. We have rescued all the 70 people trapped there without any casualties. However, it was risky.
According to the administration, the entry of boats into the Mahanadi river has been banned. Mahakalpada Block Development Officer (BDO) Debashis Raut said, “Boats were stopped from going into the river due to release of flood water into Mahanadi from Hirakud dam. The boat service was started illegally. Action will be taken against those found guilty.
The districts of North Odisha are facing a flood-like situation due to the deep pressure. Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena said that over 4.67 lakh people from 1,757 villages in 10 districts of Odisha have been affected by the flood situation due to heavy rains in the state so far.
Jena informed that 11 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 12 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Response Force (ODRF), and 52 teams of Odisha Fire Services have been deployed in the flood-affected districts. Meanwhile, the state government has asked the district education officers of the flood-affected districts to provide school buildings for shelter and relief distribution