Rourkela: : A 14-year-old girl is feared to have drowned in the Koel River at Tumkela Ghat under Sector-15 police station limits here on Monday, triggering panic in the locality and prompting a search operation by fire services personnel.The girl, identified as Poonam Mahato, is a Class IX student and a resident of Sector-9. According to police sources, Mahato left her home on a bicycle early in the morning. The Sector-15 police were alerted after her bicycle and slippers were found abandoned near the ghat, raising suspicions of drowning.Fire brigade personnel from Rourkela fire station launched a search operation around 4pm, with the girl’s family members present at the scene. “We searched the river till evening but could not locate her. We will continue our search operation on Tuesday,” said Khetrabasi Pradhan, lead fire fighter at Rourkela fire station.While the search operations were suspended for the day due to darkness, they are scheduled to resume Tuesday morning. Police officials suspect it could be a case of suicide and are investigating the matter.
