India

Odisha Teacher Survives 15‑Day Struggle in Ravine, Rescued After Goat Herder’s Call

By Debabrata Mohanty

A 47‑year‑old primary school teacher from Kandhamal district, Odisha, was found alive after 15 days trapped in a forest ravine. Mohan Kumar Maharana, who teaches at Sarsapeta Primary School in the Duba area, went missing on October 29 when heavy rainfall and a landslide, caused by Cyclone Arnab, struck near Dangesi village. While returning from school, the landslide forced him into a forested hillside, where he slipped into a deep ditch and remained isolated.

Maharana survived by drinking muddy rainwater and eating whatever edible items he could locate. He grew increasingly weak from hunger and exhaustion. His wife reported that he could no longer attempt to escape and that his cries for help grew faint as his condition deteriorated.

On Saturday, a young goat herder grazing in the forest heard faint cries and discovered Maharana lying in a very weak state on a rock inside the ravine. The herder alerted villagers and the officer‑in‑charge of Raikia police station, A Swarnalata Patra, who led a rescue operation with police and local residents. The team trekked 7–8 kilometres through dense forest and hilly terrain, carrying Maharana on a makeshift stretcher fashioned from a wooden pole and a bedsheet.

He was taken to Raikia Community Health Centre, where doctors noted severe weakness, cuts, and other injuries from the ordeal. His family requested transfer to Phulbani Medical College and Hospital for better treatment.

The landslide near Dangesi also killed three family members, including a nine‑month‑old boy, when their hilltop house was buried under debris. In nearby Ganjam district, a separate landslide in Gidipabali village resulted in five recovered bodies. The district administration suspended search and rescue operations after families of six missing persons requested the halt, citing the risk of being buried under up to 30 feet of rocks and debris.

Cyclone Arnab disrupted normal life in Raikia, leading to the evacuation of affected villages to government relief shelters, including one at Manikeshwar. With schools closed and villagers relocated, the forested area remained largely deserted, contributing to the delay in locating Maharana.