kerala woman missing in kodagu trek, no trace after 24 hours despite massive search

Madikeri : The mysterious disappearance of a 35-year-old woman during a trekking expedition in Kodagu district continues to baffle authorities, with no trace found even after 24 hours of intensive search operations. The missing woman, identified as Sharanya, a native of Kozhikode in Kerala, went missing while trekking in the Tadiandamol Hill region.

According to officials, Sharanya had arrived in Kodagu without informing her family and was staying at a homestay in Kakkabbe village under Madikeri taluk. She joined a group of nine trekkers on Thursday to scale Tadiandamol, one of the highest peaks in Karnataka. However, during the trek, she reportedly lagged behind the group while playing with dogs and eventually lost contact with them.

Sharanya is said to have called the homestay owner on Thursday evening, informing that she had lost her way. Shortly after the call, her mobile phone became unreachable, raising serious concerns about her safety. Despite extensive efforts, no clues have emerged so far.

A large-scale search operation involving over 60 personnel from the forest department, along with police teams, is currently underway. Four separate teams have been deployed to comb the dense forest terrain. Sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service, but they have failed to detect any leads.

Search operations continued late into the night until around 3 am, but yielded no results. The region is known for frequent wild elephant movement, adding to the risks faced by the search teams and intensifying fears about the missing woman’s safety.

Local tribal communities have also joined in prayers, offering vows to their deity Malethammachcha, hoping for Sharanya’s safe return. Meanwhile, dense rain clouds over the hill have further complicated the rescue efforts, reducing visibility and making the terrain more challenging.

Interestingly, local residents have expressed doubts about the possibility of Sharanya losing her way. They insist that the trekking route is not particularly difficult or confusing, and that it is unlikely for someone to get lost under normal circumstances. This has deepened the mystery surrounding the case.

Villagers from Yavakapadi have joined hands with authorities in the search operation, but with no breakthroughs so far, the case has become a major concern for both the forest department and the police.