Teams from the Army have rescued Kerala trekker R. Babu, who was stuck in a steep gorge in Malampuzha mountains in Palakkad. The Army had mobilised overnight and rescue operations were under progress since early daylight.
A young man in Malampuzha area of Palakkad was trapped on a hill between rocks since Monday with rescuers unable to reach him or provide him with food or water. Several attempts, including one by a Coast Guard helicopter, were initially made to rescue Babu, who was trapped on the hill side between rocks in the scorching heat with no water or food for more than a day.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also intervened and sought the help of the Army to rescue the youth.Â
After the Coast Guard efforts failed, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was attempting to reach the youth. A member of one of the rescue teams told a media channel that while during the day the heat is scorching and unbearable, by evening and late night it becomes windy and cold and even wild animals would be roaming about which would all obstruct the rescue efforts.
According to locals, the youth, along with two others, had decided to climb to the top of Cherad hill, but the other two abandoned the effort halfway. However, Babu continued to climb to the top, and after reaching there, slipped and fell and got trapped between rocks on the mountain face.
-Inputs from PTI
