The toll in the forest fire in Theni district has risen to 11, with one more person succumbing to burn injuries, even as a forest officer has been suspended and a tour guide arrested.
Official sources said the search operations were concluded as all the trekkers were accounted for.
Meanwhile, the 'Chennai Trekking Club' (CTC) has blamed local farmers for the fire that engulfed the area, killing 11 of the trekkers who had embarked on a "women's trek to commemorate women's day".
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, officials said the forest department had suspended Jaisingh, the officer on duty when the incident occurred.
According to officials, the focus would now be on dousing the fire and preventing it from spreading to other areas.
Preventive steps would also be taken to ensure that such incidents did not occur in the future.
Officials said there was a heavy shortage of forest guards in the area, with only 50 per cent of the required strength of 107 personnel monitoring the 3,000 hectares of forest area.
The Chennai Trekking Club was not allowed to take novices to the expedition, they said. Besides, the permission was given only if the trekkers had proper guides from the area, they added.
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The forest department was also not in a position to monitor each and every person who climbed the hills from different points.
The reported claim of the club that the trekkers were allowed to stay overnight in the forest was not correct, officials said, adding that even the family members of forest officers were not allowed to do that.
A member of the trekking party, in a statement to the police, has reportedly said they paid Rs 200 per person as entry fee before climbing the hills.
However, officials have denied this.
Meanwhile, the 'Chennai Trekking Club' today claimed the team had received an "entry pass" to proceed on their expedition.
A statement from the club to this effect virtually challenged the Tamil Nadu government's contention that the trekkers had not obtained the required permission.
Chief Minister K. Palaniswami had said the trekkers embarked on the expedition "without permission."