Mayurbhanj, Sept 12: In a tragic incident, a differently-abled woman and her brother drowned while she was attempting to save him from being swept away in a canal in Mayurbhanj district.

The heartbreaking incident took place in Mahlarapada village under Khunta police station. According to reports, the woman, identified as Nandini Nayak, saw her brother Parameswar Nayak being swept away in the Naluha river canal near their home. She immediately jumped into the canal in an attempt to rescue him. However, both were swept away by the strong current and drowned.

The incident came to light on Saturday morning when local residents spotted two bodies floating at different locations in the river and alerted the fire services.

A team from the Khunta Fire Services reached the spot and recovered both bodies. The body of Parameswar was recovered from the canal near Mahlarpada village, while Nandini’s body was found in the Naluha river at Karakachia.

Khunta police subsequently reached the spot and took the bodies into custody for further investigation.