Kerala forest officials rescue 4 toddlers, parents stranded in a cave atop after Wayanad landslides
PTC News Desk: Kerala forest department officers have rescued four toddlers and their parents from a tribal group who were stranded in a cave high in the aftermath of the Wayanad Landslides.
A 4-person team led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer K Hashis rescued the tribal family, which included four children ages one to four. The rescue mission lasted four and a half hours one way."The family is from the Paniya community of Wayanad, and had been stranded in a cave atop a hill overlooking a deep gorge," a Forest Officer said, adding that they had found the mother and a four-year-old child wandering to find food for her other children and their father, who were also stranded in the cave.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan praised the forest department for their bravery in an eight-hour operation that involved trekking into the wild parts of the western ghats.
“Six precious lives were saved from a remote tribal settlement after a tireless 8-hour operation by our courageous forest officials in landslide-hit Wayanad. Their heroism reminds us that Kerala's resilience shines brightest in the darkest times. United in hope, we will rebuild and emerge stronger," Pinarayi Vijayan said on X.
As the rainfall intensified, the forest department relocated the majority of Wayanad's tribal villages to safer locations. According to Hashis, the tribal community thrived on forest goods and shunned social connections.
"However, it seems like, due to the landslide and the heavy rain, they were unable to procure any food," he informed us.
- PTC NEWS
