Girl stuck in boulders for 18 hours rescued

Bangalore: A 19-year-old girl who was trapped in a cave among rocky boulders downstream of the flooded Lake Midala in Tumakuru around 6pm on Monday was rescued by fire and emergency services personnel.

There were fears the girl had died after she went missing during strong currents that surged from a crowded lake on Sunday afternoon.

A girl named Hamsa, a student of Siddaganga Engineering College in Tumakuru, accidentally slipped while posing for a selfie with her friend.

Around 2:30 pm on Sunday, she went missing in the strong current flowing out of the lake and by 3:05 pm, fire and emergency services personnel reached the spot and searched for Hamsa but were unable to track her. The rescue operation for the missing Hamsa was called off around 8pm on Sunday.

A rescue team of about 17 people resumed their search for the missing Khamsa around 8am on Monday. Water flowing out of the lake was drained using sandbags. After the water was drained, the strength of the current decreased, which allowed rescuers to go about their business.

Rescuers later fought their way through the rocky boulders and reached Khamsa around 11.30 am. Hamsa was inside a cave-like structure about 25 feet deep.

Rescuers spoke about this Deccan Chronicles Hamsa was in good health when rescuers tracked her down, and there were vents to allow air in. “It was a miracle that she survived the fall and the strong current from the lake. The current was too strong to overcome the obstacles,” rescuers said.

Hamsa was treated in hospital and told reporters: “At first I thought I was dead. But I came across a boulder and grabbed onto it to save my life.”