Mother-son duo missing for six days inside Odisha’s Bhitarkanika forest; massive search operation on

A mother and her son from Debendranarayanpur village in Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district have gone missing inside the Bhitarkanika National Park after venturing deep into the forest for crab catching. Despite six days of continuous search operations, there has been no trace of the two.

Reports stated that the missing persons have been identified as Anjana Mirdha and her son Ratindra Mirdha.

Missing Eight Kilometres Inside Bhitarkanika

According to forest officials, the duo entered the forest last Wednesday along with two others. While the other two villagers returned safely, Anjana and Ratindra reportedly went nearly eight kilometres inside the dense mangrove terrain and never came back.

Their absence raised alarm in the village after they failed to return, even after repeated searches by locals. Information was later passed on to the forest department.

Search Operations Intensified

Speaking to reporters, Rajnagar Forest Division Ranger Chittaranjan Behura said, “We received information yesterday that a mother-son duo went missing inside the forest when they had ventured out there for fishing. Our staff formed four teams and launched a search and rescue operation, along with some locals, around the spot where the two had reportedly gone missing, but found no trace of them.”

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He added that the search effort has now been expanded to eight teams and that another search operation will launch today that will cover all parts of the forest. The two people accompanying the mother-son duo were stated to be close relatives of the two, according to their family members.

Challenges In Dense Terrain

Bhitarkanika, a protected mangrove ecosystem and one of Odisha’s most prominent national parks, is known for its dense forests, creeks, and tidal zones. Behura pointed out that search operations are difficult in such terrain, with risks from wild animals, high tides, and thick vegetation slowing down progress.

He also confirmed that rescue efforts will continue until the duo is traced.