Boat capsizes at Balimela reservoir: Body of missing man recovered after 24 hours
Published By : Bratati Baral
| June 7, 2025 3:41 PM
Malkangiri, June 7: The dead body of a man who went missing after a boat capsized at Balimela reservoir was recovered after 24 hours of intensive search operations.
On Friday, Shankha Palasi (36), a resident of Bataguda village under Nakamamudi Panchayat in Malkangiri district, was returning home in a boat along with his wife and mother-in-law. The trio was coming back from a relative’s house in Orapada village of Chitrakonda block’s Swabhiman area when a sudden windstorm caused the boat to capsize.
While his wife and mother-in-law managed to hold onto the boat and safely reach the shore, Shankha lost balance and fell into the reservoir, subsequently going missing.
After being informed about Shankha’s disappearance, local villagers and fire department personnel launched a search operation starting Friday but found no leads initially.
During the continued search on Saturday near Bakuli Ghat, villagers and fire service workers spotted a floating body. The recovered body was later identified as Shankha Palasi.
The incident was reported to the Chitrakonda police, who arrived at the scene, recovered the body, and sent it for post-mortem examination. An official investigation has been initiated.
Shankha Palasi was the sole breadwinner of his family. His untimely death has left the family devastated and the entire village in mourning.
