Bhubaneswar, Jul 4: A youth, reportedly a rag picker, was swept away by strong currents in a drain canal near Vani Vihar in Bhubaneswar on Saturday afternoon, triggering a massive search operation by multiple rescue agencies.

According to preliminary reports, the youth accidentally fell into the swollen drain and was carried away by the fast-flowing water. Soon after the incident, rescue teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched an intensive search operation. Local police also rushed to the spot and are coordinating the rescue efforts.

Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das visited the site and is personally monitoring the rescue operation. Despite over two hours of continuous searching, rescuers had not traced the missing youth till the filing of this report.

Rescue personnel equipped with life jackets are combing the drain and its adjoining canal stretches in an attempt to locate the missing man. Police said the search operation would continue until he is found.

The incident has brought back painful memories of a similar tragedy in 2021, when a minor boy was swept away in the Saubhagya Nagar drain while returning home from tuition. Rescue teams had recovered the child's body only after a 19-hour-long operation.

Following the 2021 incident, the Odisha government had announced plans to cover all open drains and canals in Bhubaneswar to prevent such accidents. Saturday's incident has once again raised serious concerns over the safety of uncovered stormwater drains in the capital city, particularly during the monsoon season.