A woman reported missing from Nabagram village in North and Middle Andaman district was traced inside a forest area after a multi-day search operation, officials said.
The woman, identified as Budhni Munda, aged about 46, had been missing since the morning of March 10 from her residence in Nabagram village under the jurisdiction of Police Station Kalighat. According to the complaint filed by her husband, Segwa Toppo, she had been suffering from mental illness for nearly two decades and was suspected to have wandered into the nearby forest.
Police registered a missing report on March 12 after receiving the information and initiated a search operation in the surrounding forest areas of the district.
Authorities formed a search team to locate the missing woman and began combing the dense forest terrain near the village. The operation involved coordinated efforts by police personnel along with relatives of the missing woman and local villagers who assisted in the search.
Officials said the search extended across a wide forested area as teams continued to comb the terrain over several days. The operation covered more than 100 square kilometres of forest land as teams attempted to locate the woman believed to have entered the jungle.
After sustained search efforts, the woman was traced on March 15 deep inside the forest area. Officials said she was found alive but in a weakened condition.
She was immediately taken to the Primary Health Centre Kalighat for medical examination and treatment. According to officials, her health had deteriorated due to prolonged fasting during the period she remained missing.
Medical personnel provided treatment and monitored her condition before she was declared stable.
Following medical care and improvement in her condition, Budhni Munda was later handed over to her family.
Police said the case was handled as a missing person investigation from the time the complaint was received, and search operations continued in the forested region until the woman was located.
The incident occurred in the forested belt of North and Middle Andaman district, where villages are often surrounded by dense jungle terrain, making search operations challenging when individuals go missing in remote areas.
Officials said the search involved extensive ground coverage due to the thick vegetation and vast forest area around Nabagram village.
Authorities confirmed that the woman has now returned home after receiving medical attention.
The case highlights the challenges involved in tracing missing persons in remote and forested regions of the islands, where large stretches of dense jungle lie close to human settlements.
