Watch: Army launches operation to rescue boy stranded on cliff in Kerala

Teams have been mobilised overnight and rescue operations are under progress, the Indian Army said.

Palakkad: Indian Army teams have undertaken a rescue operation to extricate a person stuck in a steep gorge in Kerala’s Malampuzha mountains.

The Indian Army, Navy & National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have launched one of the biggest operations to rescue a trapped trekker in Kerala’s Palakkad. The rescuers are just 200 metres away from 23yr-old R Babu,who is trapped in a hill cleft in Palakkad’s Malampuzha village pic.twitter.com/iMnO9Mgbhm

— Oxomiya Jiyori 🇮🇳 (@SouleFacts) February 9, 2022

Teams have been mobilised overnight and rescue operations are under progress, the Indian Army said.

For the rescue operation in Palakkad, two Army teams have been moved on requisition from the state government.

“One team of 12 personnel from Madras Regiment Centre, Wellington, consisting of mountain qualified personnel with specialist equipment reached by road at the location at early hours on Wednesday,” Army sources said.

The second team of 22 personnel from Parachute Regiment centre, Bangalore also moved by aircraft to Sulur and reached the spot by 4:00 am.

The boy named Babu from Malampuzha trapped in the pocket of a steep hill since Monday. Communication has been established with the boy and he is safe, the Army said.

Meanwhile, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan also spoke about the incident and said the efforts are in full swing to rescue the youth.

Taking to Twitter, Vijayan wrote, “Efforts are in full swing to rescue the youth trapped in Malampuzha Cherat hill. There are currently two units of the Indian Army at the scene. Army members were able to talk to him. The rescue operation will be intensified today. Air Force helicopter is ready to be deployed.”