Infant girl found dead in Wokha river; police register case as search continues for missing youth in Doyang.
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WOKHA — An infant girl— a stillborn estimated to be around seven months old—was found dead in Vekhvürojü River between Airfield colony and Humtso village in Wokha district on April 14.
The body was discovered by a group of people hunting for frogs, who spotted it floating in the river and informed Wokha Police through Sangmou Khiamniungan, EAC Wokha, around 6.40 pm.
Additional Superintendent of Police Wokha, Biren Lotha, said that the body was retrieved the same night by police personnel.
A post-mortem was conducted on Wednesday at District Hospital Wokha in the presence of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members and women police officers.
Lotha informed that a case has been registered under Unnatural Death at Wokha Police Station and investigation is underway. He added that all relevant authorities and organisations have been engaged in the process.
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The infant was later given the name Joanna and laid to rest at a common graveyard in Wokha. The burial was carried out with the consent of the district administration, in the presence of a magistrate, CWC members and church workers, who conducted a funeral service.
Meanwhile, the search operation to recover the body of a 26-year-old youth who drowned in the Doyang Reservoir on April 11 entered its fourth day on Wednesday, with rescue teams yet to trace the body despite deploying multiple resources.
A total of 31 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 18 personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been engaged in the operation, working in shifts.
Four divers have also been deployed on a rotational basis, while an underwater drone team joined the search on April 15 through the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA).
Officials said that poor underwater visibility has been a major challenge.
Inspector R Aben of the 12th NDRF Regional Response Centre, Kohima, informed that visibility drops to almost zero beyond a depth of around 40 feet, making it extremely difficult for divers to locate the body.
He added that while the divers and equipment are capable of operating up to depths of 100 feet, the extensive search efforts have not yielded results so far.
Drone operators also cited poor visibility and submerged debris as key constraints, limiting the effectiveness of underwater equipment.
Inspector Aben further pointed to the difficult terrain of the dam, describing the area as steep and slippery, with submerged debris and tree branches complicating the operation.
Deputy Commissioner of Wokha Vineet Kumar said that the search has not been called off and will continue for another two to three days with SDRF personnel.
He added that if the body is not recovered within this period, necessary legal procedures will be followed.
The district authorities have advised the public to avoid entering water bodies without proper safety measures.