NDRF team conducts search operation for more than 5 hours
Principal Correspondent
Kohima, December 28
The third day of rigorous and tireless search operations by various villages and organisations, including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Guwahati, to retrieve the bodies of three teenaged students who drowned at frozen Sanctuary Fall in Dzükou, Khonoma here remained unsuccessful on Sunday. Sources said NDRF was called in by the State government, and they arrived late Saturday night with scuba divers, a boat and other equipments for the search operation. The team after reaching the site on Sunday conducted search operation with the help of scuba divers alongside several other volunteers from organisations and villages for more than five hours but in vain.
Sources said because of the severe cold weather, which is presently below freezing point, even the scuba divers expressed their inability to continue with the search operation. Subsequently as the evening fell lowering the mercury, the team called off the operation for the day.
They said the submerged bodies of the three teenagers remained untraced in the 80 feet long, 60 feet wide lake with a depth of 35 feet for the third day.
By afternoon rumours about retrieving all the bodies was spread, leading to dispersal of the volunteers. However, the search continued after confirmation that the victims were yet to be retrieved.
Notably, sources disclosed that the body of the boy – Rokosietso Mor – was recovered by evening while his younger sister Ketourovino Mor and Mhiesikhono Viyie were untraceable. But, volunteers at the base camp said there is no official confirmation of any retrieval.
Sources said the search operation would continue on Monday. But with apparent inability of the divers to conduct search for too long, Khonoma villagers have decided to literally drain the lake with water pumps, which will be carried upto the site by volunteers by dawn.
They further said over a hundred volunteers are camping Dzükou valley, some under the caves while some others under the trees to continue the search operation on Monday.
Hundreds of volunteers from Khonoma and surrounding villages, including Poilwa in Peren district, DEF Kohima & Peren, Assam Rifles, Fire & Emergency Services, Traffic Police, OC Sechü-Zubza Circle, Angami public organisations and its frontal organisations, Indian Red Cross Society etc. have been tirelessly working together in the search operations.
