Daijiworld Media Network - Chikkamagaluru
Chikkamagaluru, Apr 10: A 15-year-old girl from Palakkad, Keralam, who went missing while sightseeing near the Chandradrona mountain foothills, has been found dead after a three-day search operation, police confirmed.
The teenager, identified as Sreenanda, went missing on Tuesday evening while visiting Manikyadhara Falls along with a 41-member family group who were travelling after a trip to Hampi. Reports say she was happily recording reels on her father’s mobile phone just minutes before she disappeared.
Officials said she went missing while descending steps in a crowded stretch of the tourist spot, triggering immediate alarm and a massive search operation.
Rescue teams deployed more than 60 personnel from the police, forest department, fire and emergency services, Anti-Naxal Force (ANF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other agencies. Search operations were intensified with the use of thermal drones across the rugged terrain.
The area around Chikkamagaluru is known for its steep and treacherous landscape, making rescue efforts extremely challenging as teams combed through deep ravines and multiple possible routes.
Despite sustained efforts, her body was eventually recovered from a deep gorge nearly 2,000 feet below the Manikyadhara Falls area, bringing a tragic end to the search operation.