Cuttack: A journalist working with a regional television channel in Odisha Friday died while covering an elephant rescue mission at Mundali barrage in Mahanadi.
The deceased has been identified as Arindam Das. His death was confirmed by the Emergency Officer of Cuttack based SCB Medical College and Hospital.
According to official sources, Das was on an ODRAF boat along with a video journalist and several members of the rescue team when it overturned owing to strong water current leading to the mishap.
While the rescue team and the journalists were toppled from the boat, three ODRAF members and two journalists including Das were rescued and brought to SCB Medical College & Hospital for treatment in a critical condition. Das later succumbed.
It may be mentioned here that the elephant was one of seven in a herd that was washed away by strong currents while crossing the Mahanadi River near Mundali this morning. It became stranded near Mundali bridge, while the remaining six elephants made it to Nuasasan in Cuttack’s Athgarh block.
PNN