{
  "id": 1323826,
  "title": "300 students stranded as rising flood water cuts off Odisha residential school",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/300-students-stranded-as-rising-flood-water-cuts-off-odisha-1323826",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T17:51:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express - India",
    "slug": "the-indian-express-india",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/india/300-students-stranded-as-rising-flood-water-cuts-off-odisha-residential-school-10836189/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nearly 300 students, including more than 100 girls, from a state-run residential school in Odisha's Kendrapara district remain stranded after the Brahmani River's rising waters inundated the area over the past 24 hours of continuous rainfall. The Kulasahi Ashram School in Pattamundai block has had to relocate the students to the first floor to avoid the floodwaters. Presently, the school is entirely isolated due to the rising water level. The students were present on the premises when the latest reports were received. Kendrapara district collector Raghuram Iyer assured that all students are safe. \"The school premises are submerged by floodwater due to the Brahmani River's increasing water levels,\" he stated. No decision has been made yet to evacuate the students from the campus. Officials reported that the school's kitchen and drinking water system remain operational. A fire service team equipped with a boat has been deployed nearby, prepared to assist in case the water level rises further and evacuation becomes necessary. The school, managed by the state government's Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe department, is located in a low-lying region near the riverbank. Over five lakh people have been impacted by the flood situation in various northern districts of Odisha due to the heavy rain, with Bhadrak, Balasore, and Jajpur districts facing the most severe conditions. More than two and a half lakh individuals from the low-lying areas of these districts have been relocated to safer shelters as floodwaters have inundated numerous settlements. Odisha chief secretary Anu Garg reviewed the situation on Sunday and instructed district collectors to maintain constant vigil. Three senior IAS officers have been assigned to monitor relief, evacuation, and restoration efforts in Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur. At least 36 teams from Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ORDAF), seven teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and 36 fire service teams with boats and other equipment are deployed in the affected regions, working alongside the administration to provide relief and rescue services. The administration has been placed on alert, with all government officials' leaves canceled in the affected districts. The water resources department has also dispatched senior engineers to monitor the situation and conduct necessary interventions. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is set to visit the flood-affected areas in Bhadrak and Jajpur on Monday, according to officials.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "300 students stranded as rising flood water cuts off Odisha residential school",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/300-students-stranded-as-rising-flood-water-cuts-off-odisha",
        "published": "2026-08-16T17:51:45.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}