10 drown, 3 killed in road accident after Holi celebrations in Odisha

At least 10 people drowned while bathing and three were killed in a road accident after Holi celebrations in Odisha on Tuesday, police said.

Two more people, who were swept away while taking bath in the Mahanadi river in Cuttack and in Budalibandh Dam in Balasore district, were yet to be traced, they said.

Separately, at least 12 people were injured in a group clash during Holi celebrations in the Athagarh area of Cuttack district, the police said.

Giving details of the drowning cases, the police said three youths drowned at Kenduguda dam in Gunupur in Rayagada district, while two school boys died while bathing in the river Kathjodi near Cuttack following Holi celebrations.

A man drowned in a pond at Aul in Kendrapara district, a woman drowned in Puri canal at Balianta near Bhubaneswar.

A youth was swept away in the Mahendra Tanaya river at Parlakhenmundi in Gajapati district and died, while another died in Indravati dam in Nabarangpur district, police said.

In a similar incident in the Salepur area of Cuttack district, a man drowned in the Chitrotpala river following Holi celebrations.

The police said three persons were killed in a road accident while returning home after attending a Holi feast at Kaimati Chhak in Dhenkanal district. The motorcycle they were riding dashed against a roadside tree and the three were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared them dead, police said.

The deceased were identified as Shubra Saswat Routray from Rameswarapur area under Town Police limits, Dharmananda Dehuri from Kaimati and Kailash Sahu from Achhanda village.

In the clash in Cuttack district, at least 12 people were injured. The clash during Holi celebrations was triggered by an altercation over rash driving. All the injured have been hospitalised, the police said.