The body of 20 years old, Lt. Elanthung Ngullie was recovered at 1:20 PM on Wednesday, 29th May, 2024 after an intense search operation for two days by the joint efforts of the National Disaster Response Force,  State Disaster Response Force, Wokha and NSDMA under-water Drone team. One body yet to be recovered.

An ‘under water drone’, which is a first in the state, was used to locate the cloth of the victim, which enabled the NDRF and SDRF divers to identify the body under water.

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Mhonyamo, Instructor Havildar (CHM) Home Guards, Civil Defence & SDRF, Wokha informed that the retrieved body will be handed over to the police after which the formalities will be conducted by the police.

Speaking to the media, L. Jonjibemo Odyuo, Assistant Manager of Relief, Recovery & Mitigation and Nodal Officer at DDMA Wokha, stated that they were alerted to the incident around 12:30 PM on May 27. With the assistance of SDRE, NDRF, the Drone team and support from the Administration, Police Personnel, and locals, the search operation has been ongoing.

Meguokielie Metha, Junior Section Officer, mentioned that their team was directed to operate the underwater drone, which can be considered the first such operation from the NSDM and potentially the first in Nagaland. However, they encountered challenges during the operation, particularly with decreased visibility due to murky water and obstacles such as old fishing nets and submerged trees.

He also remarked that the water level at Doyang Dam has risen to 8 feet, and the water temperature has noticeably dropped compared to yesterday, posing additional challenges for the divers. However, he assured that the search operation to continue through the night and resume at dawn.