Holi tragedy: 13 die, six go missing in rivers

By Soumya Ranjan Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, March 17: At least 13 Holi revellers were killed and six others went missing while taking bath in different rivers and ponds at different parts of Odisha on Monday.

Preliminary reports said four youths each reportedly drowned while bathing in Kuakhai and Daya rivers on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

Four revellers went missing in the Mahanadi river at Gadagadiaghat near Cuttack after they were swept away while bathing. Two youths in Keonjhar district also went missing while taking bath in the Baitarani river.

Two people were reportedly killed in Balasore, while one each death report came in from Balasore, Ganjam, Jajpur, Khurda and Kalahandi district.

All the victims had gone to take bath in rivers and ponds after playing Holi.

Meanwhile, Odisha chief mininister Naveen Patnaik kept himself away from Holi celebrations in view of the devastation caused by severe cyclone Phailin in October last year.

“I’m not going to play Holi in view of the severe devastation cause of by cyclone Phailin last year,” the chief minister said.

The cabinet colleagues of Mr Patnaik were, however, seen observing the festival to their heart-content. Panchayati raj minister Kalpataru Das, energy minister Arun Sahoo and government deputy chief whip in Odisha Legislative Assembly and BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka celebrated the occasion by smearing the colour on each other faces and distributing sweets to party workers.