Eight members of a family, who lost their way while returning from the Shikari Mata Temple in Janjehli of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh, were found safe after an overnight search operation near Tangral Nala on Friday morning, officials said.
The family of the Dadour area in Mandi had lost their way on Thursday evening at around 7:30 pm due to dense forest and fog. Officials said that as soon as the incident was reported, the administration swung into action and an SDRF team was dispatched to Janjheli at 11 pm that reached Ruhada at 2 am. At 6.30 am, the family members were found safe.
Thunag SDM Manu Verma oversaw the rescue efforts, coordinating multiple teams throughout the night. Teams of police, revenue department, home guards, fire brigade and local volunteers worked in coordination to complete the operation under difficult conditions.
Bhim Singh, deputy head of the local panchayat, had informed the Janjehli police station following which three teams were deployed. The first headed towards Budha Kedar, the second along the main road from the Raigarh area and the third from Deji. When the initial search was unsuccessful, the SDRF was also deployed.