Odisha officer dies during scuba diving

Bhubaneswar, May 3 (IANS) An Odisha fire department officer Thursday drowned during scuba diving training in Mahanadi river in Cuttack, an official said.

Assistant fire officer Sailendra Mohanty, 49, was one of 10 people in the training organised by the department near Banki, about 70 km from here. The training was supervised by a Swedish expert.

"They went into shallow water with all diving equipment. Mohanty did not come out of the water," state fire chief Binoy Behera told IANS.

"There was only five-six feet of water and we don't know why he could not come out," he said. He was pulled out and shifted to a hospital, where he was declared dead.