Two boys drown during Saraswati idol immersion in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Two boys drowned in Kuakhai River on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar during immersion of an idol of Goddess Saraswati on Wednesday, police said.

The deceased boys, both 15 years old, were identified as Sikun Senapati from Ganga Nagar and Dibyajayoti Mahalik from Unit-6 in the city.

The boys had gone to Rangabazar area along with their tuition teacher and other students for the idol immersion.

The duo carried the idol to the river water while others were at the bank. However, they slipped into deep waters and were swept away by strong currents while taking a dip, police said.

The bodies have been fished out and sent for post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the death of the two students.

The state government announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each from the State Disaster Relief Fund for the families of the deceased boys.