Dhenkanal: Five students, who went missing in Saptasajya Hill, were rescued safely after a night-long search operation by Forest department officials and local police.
The young boys – Arakshit Mohapatra, Subam Mohapatra, Himasu Das, Sujit Sahu and Lucky Dash – lost their way on Sunday while trekking through the hill following heavy rainfall. They were found on the premises of a under-construction spirit company, sources said.
According to Forest Department officials, they initially visited Ram temple on hill but lost their way while on the way to the Shiva temple and ended up at the construction site in Barasamania area. As they could not come out of the dense forest till late afternoon, they contacted their families over mobile phone, shared a picture and sought help. The families then approached the local police in Cuttack, which contacted their counterparts in Dhenkanal and a search operation was launched by the latter along with Forest officials.
They were rescued around 11.30 pm and handed over to their parents after medical check-up. While four among them are from Cuttack’s Link Road, one belongs to Kamadhenu village in Dhenkanal, sources added.