In Odisha, at least 13 persons, including five women and two children, drowned and 20 others are still missing after a motor boat carrying over 110 passengers capsized near Pitapalli in Hirakud Reservoir in Sambalpur district last evening. About 80 persons have been rescued so far. The rescue operation was going on in the night with the help of flash lights. Our correspondent reports that the boat was carrying a large group of picnickers including local people when the tragedy occurred.

The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and other volunteers are engaged in retrieving the bodies from the Hirakud Reservoir. Unofficial sources claim, the rescue teams have recovered 16 bodies from the Hirakud Reservoir of the Mahanadi river. The bodies have been taken to VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla and Sambalpur District Headquarters Hospital. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has expressed deep grief over the incident. The state government has also announced to bear treatment expenses of all the injured persons.