Baliapal, June 19: The body of a youth who went missing after a boat capsized during survey work for the proposed bridge over the Baliapal River was recovered from the Mantei River on Friday, nearly 24 hours after the incident.
The deceased has been identified as Vijay Behera, the only son of Chakradhar Behera of Jashipur village. Following the recovery, family members identified the body.
According to reports, three youths engaged in road and survey work for the proposed bridge project were crossing the river in a temporary boat arranged by the company when it lost balance and overturned midstream. All three fell into the river.
On noticing the mishap, local residents rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. While two youths were rescued safely, Vijay Behera was swept away by the strong current and went missing.
After an extensive search operation, personnel from the Ghanteswar police outpost and Fire Services recovered the body from the river. The police have seized the body and initiated an investigation into the incident.
The tragic death has cast a pall of gloom over the area, with locals demanding adequate safety measures during survey and construction-related activities.
