On Tuesday morning, a rescue team from the Indian Army arrived at Kerala hiker R Babu, who has been trapped in a mountain fissure in Malampuzha village in the state’s Palakkad district since Monday. Officers said it took them four hours to find the 23-year-old.

He got some water and will probably be taken to the top of the mountain now, because going down is a hassle. The rescue operation, one of the largest in recent memory, also involved personnel from the Navy and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The rescue operation, which was halted on Tuesday, started again on Wednesday morning.

The hiker’s friend said he fell into a hole in the mountain when he was exhausted trying to descend.

Here’s the latest on the massive rescue effort:

• Army officials said it will take at least two hours to reach top of the Kurumpachi Mala hill. Palakkad district collector Mrunmai Joshi said that a medical team has been kept ready.

• Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the health condition of the 23-year-old is satisfactory and he will be rescued at any time. Babu’s mother and brother are camping near base camp.

• Rescuers said they came across three bears while trekking to the cleft to bring down Babu to safety.

• The mountaineering team of the Indian Army is a part of the rescue operation. The teams made contact with Babu 48 hours after the rescue operation was launched.

• Babu suffered an injury when he fell into an opening of the hill which descending. He later sent selfies and photographs of the location where he was trapped on Cherad hill, a police officer said.

• His friends, who were able to descend the hill safely after abandoning the trek halfway following the accident, said that he initially responded to their calls, but they weren’t able to locate him in the crevice of the mountain.

• On Tuesday, navy choppers arrived at the spot and made several sorties but failed to evacuate him because of the treacherous terrain.

• A Coast Guard helicopter pilot also tried to hover it near the ridge where Babu is stranded, but due to “topography of terrain the helicopter experienced heavy downdraft”, said the force, adding that the mission was aborted.

• Attempts to send food and water have also failed to materialise, and authorities are trying to keep away wild animals by lighting flambeaus.

• Visuals on local television channels show that Babu is sitting in a small recess on the mountain face.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times