The search for a 22-year-old man, a YouTuber from Odisha’s Berhampur, who was swept away into the 175-metre Duduma waterfall in Koraput, has entered its fourth day with officials saying they’ve found no trace so far.
YouTuber Sagar Kundu had visited the waterfall along with a friend from Cuttack. The mishap occurred when Kundu ventured into the middle of the stream to shoot a reel, officials said.
Police said Kundu ventured into the middle of the stream, jumping onto rocks, despite repeated warnings from his friend and others present there about the rising water level. Suddenly, there was a surge due to water being released from the Machkund dam. Kundu was swept away, and while those at the spot tried throwing a rope to pull him back, they were not able to rescue him.
At 175 metres, Duduma is one of the highest waterfalls in Odisha. It originates from the Machkund river in Koraput district and is a major source of hydroelectric power. It is also a popular tourist destination, located at the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border.
“A search operation has been launched by a 10-member team of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel, but we are yet to get a breakthrough. We are also taking the help of local villagers, who are familiar with the area. The rescue personnel are facing difficulties because of the rugged and rocky terrain and incessant rainfall,” said Machkund Inspector Madhusudan Bhoi.
Kundu’s parents reached Machkund and the police have lodged a missing person case.
According to the preliminary investigation, police said Kundu was not familiar with the terrain and may have misjudged the rising water level, leading to the mishap.
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The incident has also raised serious concerns over the safety of tourists at the waterfall. This is the second such incident at the popular tourist site in recent months. On June 14, a 28-year-old from Bhubaneswar had also gone missing at Duduma in a similar mishap. He has also not yet been found.
