Baleshwar: The bodies of two college students who drowned in the abandoned quarry popularly known as Blue Lake in Machhua panchayat under Nilagiri block of Baleshwar district were recovered nearly 24 hours after they went missing.
The deceased have been identified as Bhavesh Patra (16), from Takhatpur village under Baripada Town police limits in Mayurbhanj district, and Anshuman Patra, from Bhadrak district. Both were Plus Two Commerce students at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College and were staying in Baleshwar for their studies.
According to reports, the two students, along with their friend Roshan Nayak, visited Blue Lake on Saturday during a college holiday. The three reportedly went there on a motorcycle and were taking photographs near the quarry.
While Bhavesh and Anshuman were reportedly taking a selfie after climbing a neem tree near the waterbody, they lost their balance and fell into the deep water. Roshan attempted to rescue his friends but could not save them.
After receiving information, teams from the Nilagiri and Remuna fire stations, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and police launched a search operation. Despite difficult conditions and rain, rescue personnel continued the search for several hours.
Scuba divers also searched the quarry until around 10 pm on Saturday but could not locate the missing students.
The search operation resumed at around 10 am on Sunday, with ODRAF personnel and a team from the Bhubaneswar Fire Services joining the effort. Around noon, scuba divers located and recovered the bodies of the two students from the deep water.
The bodies were subsequently sent to Fakir Mohan Medical College & Hospital, Remuna, for post-mortem examination.
The incident triggered grief among the families and relatives of the deceased who gathered near Blue Lake. Baleshwar MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Nilagiri MLA Santosh Khatua visited the spot and consoled the bereaved families.
Following the tragedy, the MP and MLA urged the district administration to take steps to prevent further accidents at the abandoned quarry. Directions were reportedly issued to install fencing around the waterbody and restrict access to the dangerous site.
The administration has also indicated that the area will soon be declared a prohibited zone and measures will be taken to put up protective fencing. In an emotional appeal, Anshuman’s mother reportedly told the MP that although she had lost her son, steps should be taken to ensure that no other family suffers a similar tragedy in the future.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by deep water-filled abandoned quarries, particularly among youngsters visiting such locations for recreation and taking selfies.