
Two college students went missing after drowning in a water-filled abandoned quarry at the Blue Lake quarry near Mitrapur in Odisha's Balasore district on Saturday. The victims, residents of Bhadrak and Baripada,…
Two college students went missing after drowning in a water-filled abandoned quarry at the Blue Lake quarry near Mitrapur in Odisha's Balasore district on Saturday. The victims, residents of Bhadrak and Baripada, were among three students from Fakir Mohan College who had visited the spot for a recreational outing.

While bathing, two students got into difficulty and disappeared into the deep water. The third student managed to escape safely. Nilagiri Fire Services personnel are conducting a search and rescue operation at the site. Locals said similar mishaps have occurred at the quarry in the past.
The incident has raised concerns about safety hazards at abandoned quarries filled with deep water. The search operation for the missing students is currently underway.
Abandoned quarries across Odisha, especially in Balasore and Sundargarh districts, have claimed dozens of lives over the past decade, yet no statewide database of such water bodies exists. The Mines and Geology Department has no mandate to fence or monitor disused pits once the lease expires, leaving local administrations to act only after a tragedy. The district administration should map every abandoned quarry in Balasore and post warning boards immediately. The next meaningful step would be a High Court or state government directive mandating dewatering or fencing of all hazardous quarry pits.
Source: odishatv.in
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