Missing Forest Officials and Local Guides Safely Reach Langting After Communication Loss

 Haflong, July 26: The 23 forest officials and three local villagers who were reported missing after losing contact during a forest survey in a remote area of Dima Hasao have safely reached Langting on Sunday.

The team had lost communication on Friday while conducting a forest survey near Khepre village along the Assam-Nagaland border. The absence of mobile network coverage in the remote forest area had prevented them from contacting their offices, leading to concerns over their safety.

Manderdisa Forest Range Officer Donmai Thaosen confirmed that all members of the team reached Langting safely without any untoward incident.

"We are all safe and have reached Langting. There is no need for anyone to worry," Thaosen said. He added that the officials and the three local guides were taken to Langting Model Hospital for a routine medical check-up after the long trek through the forest.

Following the loss of communication on Friday, a search operation involving personnel from the Assam Police, Assam Rifles and the Forest Department was launched on Saturday. A drone was also deployed to assist in the search, but the team could not be located because of the dense forest cover and the lack of communication facilities.

The incident highlights the persistent communication challenges faced by officials working in remote and inaccessible forest areas of Dima Hasao, where the absence of mobile network coverage often hampers contact during field operations.