CHIKKAMAGALURU: The intensive search for 15-year-old Sreenanda, who went missing during a family trip to Chikkamagaluru, ended in tragedy on Friday as her body was recovered from a 1500-foot deep gorge. Sreenanda, a native of Kadambazhipuram in Palakkad, had been missing since Tuesday evening, leading to a massive four-day rescue operation.
The Class 10 student had disappeared near the Manikyadhara waterfalls in the Bababudangiri Hills around 5:30 PM on Tuesday. She was part of a 40-member tour group consisting of her parents and relatives. According to reports, the teen went missing within minutes after taking photographs with her family as the group began their descent from the viewpoint.
The recovery was made by a Special Task Force formed specifically to locate the girl. The team, comprising over 100 personnel from the police, forest, and fire departments, discovered the body deep within the ravine during a high-tech search using thermal drones on Friday morning. The challenging terrain and thick mist had hampered the search efforts over the past few days.
Previously, her parents had expressed fears that she might have been abducted or drugged, as initial ground searches yielded no clues. However, the discovery of the body in the steep gorge suggests a tragic accidental fall. Authorities are currently engaged in the difficult process of retrieving the mortal remains from the deep valley for further legal procedures.
With input from KN.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com