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Kendrapara district collector Raghuram Aiyar said, "Two-hundred-forty-eight students from an Ashram school in Kulashahi, who had been stranded for four days amid the rising and strong floodwaters of the Brahmani river were rescued in three powerboats and taken to two residential schools in the neighbouring Aul block."

"The rescue operation took a couple of hours. Arrangements have been made for the students' food and refreshments," said Pattamundai block education officer, Ajit Kar.

On Saturday, 284 students of a residential school housing SC/ST students in the district were stranded as floodwaters from the Brahmani river inundated the Kulasahi area, submerging the first floor of the Ashram school.

"The floodwaters rose rapidly from Saturday morning and submerged the first floor of the school building. The students were shifted to the second floor, where they remained safe," said headmaster Soumendra Das, adding that the school stocked food supplies for a week.

Students stranded for four days faced difficulties carrying out daily activities. "We could not bathe properly, and it was difficult to get drinking water or use the toilet. Snakes were also swimming around," said one of the rescued students.

"I have been sleepless for the last two nights because my 12-year-old son is stranded in the school. The authorities should rescue all the students immediately," said Sanjay Mallick of Pattamundai.

District officials admitted they initially decided against evacuation because they believed the children were safe inside the school building.