Nilambur flash flood: last missing victim's body recovered, search ends

The body of the last person missing after Sunday's flash flood in the Kottapuzha river at Amarambalam, Nilambur, was recovered on Tuesday, bringing the search operation to a close.

Sajita, 26, a resident of T.K. Colony in Amarambalam, was swept away when the water level rose suddenly while she was washing clothes on Sunday evening. Her body was found around 12.20 p.m. on Tuesday near a footbridge behind a school at Antonykkad.

With the recovery, the bodies of all six people who were swept away in the flood have been retrieved. Two were found on Sunday and three on Monday.

The search for Sajita ran for three days, with teams combing the river and adjoining forest areas. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, the Fire and Rescue Services, the police and the forest department joined volunteers and local residents in the effort. Drones were used to scan rocky stretches and other difficult terrain along the river.

The Kottapuzha flows through forested and rocky country marked by granite boulders and narrow passages, and gaps between rocks hampered teams trying to cover the riverbed.

The five people whose bodies were recovered earlier were identified as Parannaparamban Mohammed Kutty, 65, Mangadan Anas, 27, Srambikkal Raheem, 35, Kuppanath Sajjad, 23, and Kuruppath Rafeek, 41.

The flash flood struck on Sunday evening after rain in the forests upstream, causing a sudden surge in the river. Dozens of people were stranded in the water during the incident, and local residents and forest staff helped bring those trapped to safety.

Revenue Minister A.P. Anilkumar, who oversaw the search, said the recovery of Sajita's body marked the end of the operation. He thanked the NDRF, the Fire and Rescue Services, the police, and forest and revenue officials, as well as volunteers, elected representatives and local residents who took part.

Sajita's body was taken to the Government District Hospital in Nilambur for a post-mortem examination. The Cabinet, scheduled to meet on Wednesday, is expected to consider financial assistance for the families of those who died.