Odisha YouTuber Swept Away in Duduma Waterfall Incident

Bhubaneswar, Aug 27 (PTI) – A 22-year-old YouTuber from Odisha’s Berhampur city has been missing for five days after being swept away by strong currents at the Duduma waterfall in Koraput district. The incident occurred while he was shooting videos, police revealed on Wednesday.

A senior officer stated that a search operation involving disaster management and fire brigade personnel is currently underway, yet the young man remains untraced. The YouTuber, identified as Sagar Kundu, visited the 175-metre-high Duduma waterfall on August 23 with friends to record short videos.

Despite his friends’ repeated warnings regarding the increasing water levels, Kundu ventured into the waterfall, an officer noted. "A sudden surge from water released by the Machkund dam swept Kundu away. Efforts by those present to rescue him were unsuccessful," police said, referring to a viral video depicting the incident on social media.

"Kundu was pleading with us for rescue, throwing his camera and equipment into the water, but we could not help him," stated Abhijit Behera, a friend of the YouTuber. Sagar’s father, Sarthak Kundu, has appealed to local authorities for his son's rescue.

Inspector in-charge of the Machkund Police Station, Madhusudan Bhoi, reported that a search operation has been initiated by the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Lamtaput Fire Service personnel. "A bag containing batteries and other equipment, which Kundu discarded into the water before being swept away, has been recovered. However, the challenging hilly terrain, rugged rocks, and continuous rainfall have hampered rescue efforts," he stated.

Umesh Chandra Bagh, a fire service officer, indicated that a request has been made to the Machkund dam authorities to close the reservoir gates. Reducing the water level is expected to aid the ongoing search operation. Duduma, a popular tourist spot, is one of Odisha’s highest waterfalls, situated near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border.