Search operation comes to a close in Pithoragarh

Search for those missing since the cloudbursts at Mangti and Malpa in Pithoragarh closed today, 17 days after the tragedy in which nine persons lost their lives.

The search operations was winded up after the security personnel engaged in the exercise said the huge dumps of debris at Malpa and Mangti Nalla ended all hopes of any more recoveries, District Magistrate C Ravishankar said.

Nine persons were killed while 18, including six army personnel, went missing when two cloudbursts hit the region on August 14 and the operation was being carried out jointly by the SDRF, the NDRF, the ITBP and the SSB teams.

“However, search for the dead or missing will continue on a smaller scale near the side of the rivers,” he said.

According to the Pithoragarh district magistrate, the search operations launched on August 14 were conducted at the two places and at Kali riverbed by 18 NDRF, 16 SDRF jawans besides the SSB, and ITBP personnel.

Nine bodies were found during the operation.