Balasore, Aug 23: A weekend excursion turned into a tragedy when two teenage college students drowned while bathing in a water-filled, abandoned stone quarry in Odisha’s Balasore district.Local police confirmed the recovery of their bodies on Sunday morning.The victims have been identified as Anshuman Patra (17) and Bhabesh Patra (16). Both youths were enrolled as Plus-Two Commerce students at FM College in Balasore.According to police reports, the two teenagers, accompanied by a third friend, visited the abandoned quarry on Saturday. The spot, locally known as “Blue Lake,” is situated in the Mitrapur area under the jurisdiction of the Nilgiri police station. While swimming in the deep waters, Anshuman and Bhabesh began to struggle and were pulled under.The third student managed to survive and safely reached the shore. He immediately alerted local residents, who then notified the authorities.The administration quickly mobilized a joint rescue operation involving the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and local fire services upon receiving the distress call.Despite search efforts beginning on Saturday afternoon, the deep and hazardous nature of the quarry delayed the recovery. After an extensive operation, rescue teams successfully fished out the bodies of both missing teenagers on Sunday.
Tragedy in Balasore: Two FM College students drown in abandoned stone quarry
