Boat capsizes during selfie bid, two students feared drowned in Jalaput dam reservoir
JEYPORE: The urge to click selfies turned fatal for two school students who went missing after their boat capsized in Jalaput dam reservoir near Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border in Koraput’s Nandapur block on Saturday evening.
The missing boys, identified as Siba Hantal and Amit Hantal, were Class-IX students of Jalaput high school.
Sources said Siba and Amit along with another student Goutam Khemundu had gone to the nearby Jalaput dam on a pleasure trip. They reportedly decided to click selfies in the middle of the dam reservoir. Accordingly, they hopped on to a country boat moored on the bank and ventured into the water body.
They were clicking selfies from the edge of the boat when the wooden vessel capsized. All three of them fell into the water. While Goutam, who knew swimming, managed to reach the bank safely, Siba and Amit went missing.
Goutam rushed home and informed his family members about the mishap. Subsequently, locals reached the dam late in the evening but could not find the missing students.
On Sunday, police and ODRAF personnel launched a search but they too could not trace Siba and Amit. Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Nandapur Sambit Majhi said the search operation was suspended at nightfall due to darkness. The operation will resume on Monday.
