Day 8: Search mission intensifies in forest areas, Chaliyar river banks with SOG commandos

By on Comments Off on Day 8: Search mission intensifies in forest areas, Chaliyar river banks with SOG commandos

Kalpetta: The search for missing persons in Wayanad’s disaster-struck areas entered the eighth day with a sense of urgency. Special Operations Group (SOG) commandos, alongside the army, are embarking on a challenging mission, through the route through which the debris was carried away, from Soochipara to Pothukal, aiming to locate bodies of those still missing.

The operation involves traversing three waterfalls to reach Pothukal, a high-risk task. It comes under the Nilambur and Meppadi Forest Divisions, known for their dense wildlife population. Apart from the rugged terrain, attention is also turning to new search areas beginning at Punchiri Mattam and moving downward.

In the third phase of the search, additional bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar River. Approximately 200 bodies remain to be located. Volunteers have been assisting in the search efforts.Leading the mission is Lt. Colonel Rishi Radhakrishnan from the Pangode Camp in Thiruvananthapuram. ADGP MR Ajith Kumar outlined the strategy, detailing deployment of two teams, each comprising six members.

“The first team comprises two forest department employees and four army personnel, while the second group includes four commandos and two army personnels, with the forest department employees serving as guides. Both teams are planned for airdrop at the Soochipara area, tasked with penetrating deep into remote forested regions. Plans include airlifting any recovered bodies, contingent on weather conditions, with a Navy helicopter redirected from Kozhikode to Wayanad. The mission will commence when weather conditions permit,” said the ADGP.
District Collector Meghashree stated that the search efforts will prioritise areas along the river, with concurrent operations continuing in other locations. “Search operations were conducted across six designated zones earlier, yielding fewer recoveries of bodies than anticipated. Thus, efforts will now intensify along riverbanks. The search areas have been clearly marked for systematic search. Currently, 40 teams are engaged in the search, comprising over 1,300 personnel from diverse forces, alongside support from over 1,000 volunteers,” said the Collector.

Day 8: Search mission intensifies in forest areas, Chaliyar river banks with SOG commandos added by on
View all posts by Webdesk →