300 students stranded as rising flood water cuts off Odisha residential school

Nearly 300 students, including over 100 girls, from a state-run residential school in Odisha's Kendrapara district are stranded after rising waters of the Brahmani River cut off the area due to incessant rainfall over the past 24 hours, according to officials. Kulasahi Ashram School in the Pattamundai block has been shifted to the first floor of the school building as flood water entered the premises, and the school is currently cut off due to the rising water level.

Kendrapara district collector Raghuram Iyer confirmed that all students are safe, stating that the school premises are surrounded by flood water due to rising water levels in the Brahmani River. Officials are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring that adequate food and drinking water are provided to the students. A fire service team with a boat has been deployed near the school, ready to assist if necessary.

Over 5 lakh people have been affected by the flood-like situation in several northern districts of Odisha due to heavy rain, with more than 2.5 lakh people from low-lying areas being shifted to safe shelters.