Three men narrowly escaped disaster on Thursday when their motorcycle was swept away by powerful floodwaters while attempting to cross the submerged Malda-Kailari bridge in Odisha’s Koraput district. The incident, under Borigumma block, occurred as relentless rainfall pushed water levels to nearly five feet, submerging multiple bridges in the region.

The trio, residents of Jamuguda village in neighboring Nabarangpur district, had traveled to Kotpad on Monday and were returning home when they ignored barricades and warnings from local authorities. A viral video captured the moment their motorcycle lost balance midway across the bridge, toppling into the swirling currents. The strong floodwaters carried the bike and riders downstream, but quick action by nearby villagers saved all three men from the raging waters. The motorcycle, however, was swept away and remains unrecovered.

District Emergency Officer Saranjita Majhi stated, “The administration had barricaded the area and cautioned people not to cross the bridge due to floodwater, but they defied the warnings and landed in trouble.” The incident follows days of heavy rainfall across Koraput, triggered by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, which has left low-lying areas waterlogged and damaged roads, bridges, and sections of National Highway 326.

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This near-tragedy echoes a recent incident in Koraput, where 22-year-old YouTuber Sagar Tudu was swept away at Duduma waterfall while filming, highlighting the dangers of ignoring weather-related alerts. Authorities have urged residents to avoid flooded areas as the region braces for more rainfall.

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