Bengaluru, April 5 A 36-year-old woman who went trekking in the Tadiandamol hills in the Kodagu district has gone missing inside the forest. Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said on Sunday that additional personnel and drone cameras have been deployed to search for her.
He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressing concern about the disappearance of the young woman, instructed that the search operations be intensified.
G S Sharanya had come alone from Kerala for the trek and stayed at a private homestay in the Kakkabe village.
She had gone to the high mountain range of the Tadiandamol hills in Kodagu with a guide and 15 other trekkers on April 2. She went missing that afternoon. As soon as the matter was known, five teams of 50 people, including police, the anti-Naxal squad, a dog squad, and forest personnel, were formed, and they are conducting searches, the minister's office said in a statement.
According to Khandre, CM Siddaramaiah expressed concern about the disappearance of the young woman who went on a trek and instructed that additional personnel be deployed for the search.
"Four additional teams of 40 personnel have been deployed today. A total of 9 teams are conducting the search operation. We are making every effort to find the missing young woman," he said.
Further noting that, according to reports, the young woman last contacted the homestay by phone on Thursday, stating that she had lost her way, the minister said, "The search is being conducted based on her phone location. Local tribal people have also rushed to help, and sophisticated thermal drone cameras have been obtained with an additional team deployed starting today."