Tragedy at Asangi Check Dam: Second Student’s Body Recovered

Saraikela: The frantic search for two missing schoolboys at the Asangi check dam under the RIT police station jurisdiction ended in tragedy. On Sunday morning, rescue teams recovered the body of the second student, Utsav Raj, a resident of Kalpanapuri.

The heart-wrenching incident began on Saturday afternoon when both students drowned while bathing in the reservoir. With the recovery of Utsav’s body, the remains of both victims have now been found, sending shockwaves through the locality.

According to police reports, the mishap occurred at around 1:00 PM on Saturday. Two school students, Utsav Raj (resident of Kalpanapuri) and Luv Kumar (resident of S-Type area), had gone to the Asangi check dam to take a bath to beat the heat but accidentally ventured into deep waters.

On Saturday, local divers managed to pull out Luv Kumar’s body. However, despite an intensive search operation that lasted late into Saturday night, Utsav Raj remained untraceable.

On Sunday morning, local residents spotted Utsav’s body on the water’s surface. They alerted community representatives and the RIT police station. A police team took custody of the body and sent it for a post-mortem examination.

The death of two young students has left their families devastated and plunged the entire neighbourhood into mourning. The tragedy has also sparked protests of local residents, who have pointed fingers at the district administration for gross negligence. Angry villagers highlighted that this is far from an isolated incident:

“This is not the first drowning incident at the Asangi check dam. Many lives have been lost here in the past. Despite repeated mishaps, the administration has not put up a single warning signboard or installed safety barricades. How many more children must die before they act?” questioned a local resident.

The grieving community has demanded the immediate installation of safety fencing and prominent warning signs around the perimeter of the check dam to prevent such fatal accidents in the future.