Kids swept away in canal: 2 saved, one girl missing

A minor girl was missing while two other children were rescued after being swept away in a canal here on Saturday, police said.

Two girls and a boy, aged between 7 and 9 years of the Chauliaganj area, were bathing in Taladanda canal when one of the girls slipped and was swept away by the strong current. Trying to rescue her, the two others also lost their balances and slipped deep into the water, they said.

Hearing the cries of the children, a fish vendor, who was selling fish on the bank plunged into the waters and rescued the boy and one girl from drowning, they said.

"I managed to pull the two to safer place but unfortunately failed to locate the third child," said the fish vendor, Pahali Samal.

Soon police personnel rushed to the spot and requisitioned the services of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team to search for the missing girl. The girl was yet to be traced till late in the evening, police said.