BERHAMPUR: In an extraordinary tale of survival, a 47-year-old school teacher who went missing during a devastating landslide in Kandhamal district was rescued alive on Saturday after spending 14 days trapped in a ditch near a hill. He survived the ordeal by drinking muddy rainwater.
The rescued teacher, identified as Mohan Maharana, teaches at Duba Primary School, located atop the remote Ghati hills in Indragarh panchayat under Raikia block. He went missing amid the heavy rainfall and landslide that devastated Dangasi village on the night of October 29.
Maharana was reportedly on his way to Dangasi village when the hillside collapsed following incessant rainfall. As villagers fled towards neighbouring Duba village to escape the disaster, he accidentally fell into a deep ditch near the hill in the darkness. With nobody around, his desperate cry for help went unheard.
Stranded in the isolated forested area, Maharana remained trapped in the ditch without access to food or safe drinking water. He reportedly survived for 14 days by drinking muddy rainwater that accumulated inside the ditch.
His condition gradually deteriorated due to prolonged starvation, exposure to rain and consumption of contaminated water. His voice turned feeble, making it difficult for him to seek help.
Meanwhile, after failing to trace him, his family members approached Raikia police station and lodged a missing person complaint. Police registered a case and launched a search operation.
A team led by Raikia police station IIC A Swarnalata Patra, Sub-Inspector Sitaprasad Bisoyi and personnel of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), assisted by local youngster, searched the surrounding forests and inaccessible hill terrain. However, their initial efforts yielded no breakthrough.
The breakthrough came on Saturday when a cattle herder, who had taken his cattle to the forest near Ratangi, heard faint cries from a ditch. Curious about the unusual sound, he approached the spot and was stunned to find Maharana trapped inside. He immediately alerted villagers.
Locals rushed to the spot and pulled him out of the ditch. Maharana was found extremely weak and seriously ill after surviving without food for nearly two weeks.
Given the difficult terrain and lack of motorable road connectivity, villagers carried him on a makeshift sling stretcher for nearly 18 km to Raikia, where he was admitted to the Community Health Centre for treatment.
Police personnel and residents played a crucial role in the search and rescue operation amid the challenging terrain. Maharana was found extremely weak and seriously ill after surviving without food for nearly two weeks.
His rescue brought immense relief to his family, who had almost lost hope of finding him alive.