A 15-year-old girl from Kerala’s Palakkad district was reported missing on Tuesday near Manikyadhara Falls in Chikkamagaluru district, where she was travelling with her family, police said on Wednesday.
The student, identified as Nandana, was last seen at about 5.30pm while returning uphill after taking photographs, said an officer involved in the search, adding that she was part of a group of around 40 people, including her relatives.
After the family noticed her absence and failed to locate her, they approached the police and filed a complaint at around 8pm, said the officer.
A joint search operation was launched soon after, involving personnel from the police and forest departments, along with more than 30 forest staff. Teams combed the surrounding hills through the evening, but dense fog and poor visibility slowed progress, said people aware of the matter.
The search continued until about 1 am before teams briefly withdrew due to difficult conditions. Authorities later resumed efforts during the night using thermal drones to scan the terrain. The aerial search continued until around 4.30 am but did not yield any clues, they said.
District superintendent of police Jithendra Kumar Dayama said, “We are putting in all efforts to locate the girl despite the difficult weather conditions and visibility issues.”
On Wednesday, additional teams from the disaster management unit joined the operation. Rescue personnel from the fire services, police and forest departments were divided into smaller groups and assigned specific routes based on the estimated path the girl may have taken after she was last seen.
{{/usCountry}}On Wednesday, additional teams from the disaster management unit joined the operation. Rescue personnel from the fire services, police and forest departments were divided into smaller groups and assigned specific routes based on the estimated path the girl may have taken after she was last seen.
{{/usCountry}}Drone cameras were deployed again to survey interior forest areas, many of which are difficult to access on foot. Officials said the terrain posed significant challenges, with steep slopes, dense vegetation and shifting weather conditions complicating the search.
Local residents familiar with the area have also joined the effort.
Police officials said the location is typically crowded with visitors and expressed hope that the girl would be located. Her family has remained at the site as the search continues.
The incident follows a recent case in Kodagu, where a 36-year-old woman from Kerala went missing while trekking in the Tadiandamol hills. She became separated from her group during the descent and was unable to find her way in dense forest terrain with limited mobile connectivity.
Search teams in that case carried out an extensive operation over several days, involving police, forest personnel and local volunteers. The woman was eventually found alive and reunited with her family.
Following the incident, authorities in Kodagu moved to tighten oversight of trekking activity and temporarily halted access to certain routes as a precautionary measure, citing safety concerns linked to terrain and weather conditions.
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