A joint search operation of Fire, Forest and Police service personnel, was launched for the four women devotees, who went misisng while crossing a jungle river even as they were returned from a visit to the Anical Mariamman temple nestled in Sigur forest area near Ooty.
Nilgiris: A joint search operation of Fire service personnel, forest and police was launched to to the spot out the four women devotees, who went missing while crossing a jungle river even as they were returning from a visit to the Anical Mariamman temple in Segur forest area near Ooty.
The famous Anical Mariamman Temple is located in the Segur forest area near Ooty in the Nilgiris district. It is customary for this temple to be opened for darshan only on special days and occassions..
When, the temple was opened yesterday on the occasion of Karthigai Deepam festival and pujas were duly performed., devotees had thronged the temple from various parts of Ooty, Kotagiri and surrounding rural areas in large numbers.
The devotees had to to cross the Anical river to reach this temple which is situated in a forested area. Even as there was flash floods during the return journey of devotees, some of the women devotees were caught in the flash floods and were washed away.
The names of the missing persons are given as Saroja (65), Vasuki (45), Vimala (35) and Susheela (56), all residents of Jekkalorai village under Kadanadu panchayat near Ooty.
However, due to the night hours and heavy flow of water in the jungle river, the search for the four missing persons was suspended temporarily by yesterday.
The joint operation which resumed at 7 am today is going and more than 100 fire, forest and police personnel are engaged in the search operation to fish out the missing persons.