Wayanad Landslide: Four tribal children were trapped in a cave after the landslide, the forest department rescued them like this; Read Inside Story

The forest department rescued the children (photo courtesy: https://x.com/pinarayivijayan)

Wayanad landslide, After a massive landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad claimed the lives of over 300 people, forest officials posted in the area rescued four children from inside a cave after braving rain and rocky terrain.

The team went inside the dense forest

Let us tell you that the children belonged to a tribal community, who generally avoid interacting with outsiders and use living things and forest products. A four-member team led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer K Hasheesh went inside the dense forest on Thursday to rescue a tribal family. They found four children aged one to four years in the cave.

Tribal family was trapped in the cave

Kalpetta Range Forest Officer K. Hasheesh said the family, belonging to the Paniya community of Wayanad, was trapped in a cave located on a hilltop. The forest officials had to travel for more than four and a half hours to reach the spot.

‘Rescue operation was dangerous’

Forest officials saw the mother of the four children walking near the forest area and informed them that the four children were trapped in the cave. To rescue them, officials had to climb slippery rocks and tie ropes to trees and rocks. They said that this rescue was very dangerous.

“The children were tired and we fed them with whatever we had brought along. Later, after much persuasion, their father agreed to come with us and we tied the children to our bodies and started our journey back. They then returned to the anti-poaching office at Atta Mala, where the children were fed and given clothes and shoes,” Hasheesh said.

‘Adivasis survive on forest products’

They usually survive on forest products and buy rice by selling them in the local market. However, it seems they did not get food due to the landslide and heavy rains, the forest official said.

Along with Hasheesh, section forest officer B S Jayachandran, beat forest officer K Anil Kumar and RRT (Rapid Response Team) member Anoop Thomas participated in the long trek of over seven kilometres to rescue the family.

(Input: IANS)