Baripada: A schoolteacher successfully swam to safety after floodwaters swept his car away, leaving his driver trapped inside for more than two hours in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.

The incident occurred on Friday when a sudden surge of water from the Deo River inundated the area near Naharapada village, which falls under the Udala police station’s jurisdiction.

Reports indicate that Ratikanta Kadhei, who teaches at the Naharapada primary school, was traveling with his driver, Dushmanta Desari, from Udala to Naharapada when the vehicle encountered trouble.

As they attempted to cross a section of road flooded with water, the flow suddenly intensified, and a strong current carried the car approximately 15 to 20 meters away from the road.

Realizing the danger, the driver opened the windows, allowing Kadhei to escape from the vehicle. He hurried to the village to alert locals and seek assistance for the driver, who remained trapped inside.

In response, more than 15 villagers quickly converged on the scene and initiated a rescue operation. They successfully freed Desari from the submerged car and managed to retrieve the vehicle from the floodwaters.