Bhubaneswar, Jul 28 (IANS): One kanwariya drowned while another went missing in two separate incidents in Odisha’s Cuttack and Jajpur districts on Sunday.

In the first incident, a 30-year-old kanwariya was fetching water from the Baitarani River near Ballavi Ghat in Jajpur when suddenly he slipped deep into the water. The deceased devotee identified as Prasanta Samal was a resident of Purusottampur village in the Bhandaripokhari area of the Bhadrak district.

“We had come to collect water to offer the same at the Akhandalamani Shiva temple at Aradi. The deceased entered the river to fetch water but suddenly he slipped deep into the river and swept away in the current. I too drowned when trying to save him but was rescued by other Kawanriyas. However, they couldn't save the deceased,” said one of the friends of the deceased.

In another incident, a devotee went missing while fetching water from the Mahanadi River at the Gadagadia Ghat in Cuttack on Sunday afternoon.

“Two persons while collecting water from the River swept away by the current. Our personnel immediately swung into action and rescued one Kanwariya and the search is on to trace the other one, " said a fire services department official.

The missing person identified as Soumya Ranjan Patra, 26, reportedly hails from the Patia area of Bhubaneswar.

Hundreds of Kanwariyas on Sunday gathered at the Gadagadia Ghat in Cuttack to collect water to offer at various Shiva temples.