Bhubaneswar/Keonjhar: A 26‑year‑old firefighter was electrocuted while he was de-watering an inundated govt quarters in Keonjhar district on Wednesday.Officials said the victim, identified as Chandan Pattnaik from Angul district’s Kholua village, came in contact with a live wire that had fallen into the floodwater. Pattanaik and his colleagues from the Odisha fire and emergency services were deployed to de-water the govt quarters near the police club in Keonjhar town when the accident took place. “He did not notice the wire submerged in water and was fatally electrocuted,” an officer said.Pattnaik, who had joined the service in Nov 2024, was taken to the district headquarters hospital but was declared dead on arrival.Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the tragedy. “I am deeply heartbroken to learn of the untimely demise of the firefighter in a most unfortunate accident while he was on duty. Along with conveying my profound condolences to the bereaved family members during this difficult time, I pray to Lord Jagannath for the eternal peace of his departed soul,” Majhi wrote on X.
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Director general (fire and emergency services) Sudhanshu Sarangi has ordered an inquiry. “I have asked a senior officer of our directorate to conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances leading to the tragedy. Pattnaik was an excellent firefighter and had a promising career. His death is a big loss for us,” Sarangi said.
