Koraput Tragedy: Three JNV Students Drown, Staff Suspended
Koraput, Odisha – A heartbreaking incident unfolded on March 7, 2026, when three Class X students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Koraput, drowned in the Kolab reservoir after their CBSE exam.
The victims, identified as Lingaraj Khilo, Omm Prakash Behera, and Swasthita Sundar Halwa, reportedly ventured into deeper waters while bathing and were swept away.
School staff rushed to the site and retrieved the students, but doctors at Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital declared them dead on arrival.
In response, the Bhopal regional office of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti suspended three staff members — Physics teacher Chaman Kumar, Physical Education Teacher Rahul Singh, and hostel in-charge Ishwar Khara — pending inquiry.
The tragedy has sparked serious concerns about student safety and supervision during off-campus activities, particularly near water bodies, raising questions about accountability and preventive measures in residential schools.
