A 35-member group, including 30 students and teachers, trapped inside the Achencoil forest in heavy rain was rescued in a joint operation on Monday.
The students from Shanmugha Vilasam Higher Secondary School, Clappana, were attending a three-day Scout and Guide nature camp at the forest. According to officials, they had ventured into deep forest without permission. They were accompanied by two forest watchers when they started trekking to Thoovalmala around 10 a.m. on Sunday. While the plan was to return around afternoon, the group was unable to travel following torrential rain.
Wild animals
According to the students, though they tried to trek back in bad weather, presence of wild elephants prevented them from moving further. They had ventured around 5 km into the forest and the hiking trail was prone to landslips.
While rain and dense fog made rescue operation difficult, the rescue team located the students around 2 a.m. The group was safely brought back to Kottavasal by 4 a.m.
“The weather is quite unpredictable in Achencoil and the students trekked into the forest without informing us. They had to wait for help due to the bad weather till midnight,” said an official. Units from nearby forest divisions, including Punalur, Ranni and Konni, participated in the rescue operations.
“A Fire and Rescue Services team and Health workers were present. All the students reached their homes by 6 a.m. in the morning,” he added.
Reportedly, the Kollam District Collector has sought an explanation from the Forest and General Education departments in the incident.
