On Wednesday, April 29, a family trip to Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills turned into a nightmare when a 15-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh went missing at the famous Wei Sawdong Falls. The teenager, who lived in the Firozabad district, is said to have fallen into the waterfall’s deep natural pools while she was there with her family. A family vacation turned into a nightmare in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills on Wednesday, April 29, after a 15-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh went missing at the popular Wei Sawdong Falls. The teenager, a resident of Firozabad district, allegedly fell into the waterfall’s deep natural pools while visiting the site with her family.
Local officials say that the event took place in the afternoon while the family was enjoying the beautiful scenery of Sohra, a famous tourist spot around the world. Early reports say that the girl fell while trying to take pictures near the edge of the multi-tiered waterfall. Witnesses said she lost her balance and fell into the dangerous water below.
Emergency services were called right away, which led to a quick mobilization of rescue workers. A big search and rescue operation was started, with the help of local volunteers and professional diving teams. Even though they tried everything they could to find the girl in the complicated system of natural pools and the rough land around the falls, they couldn’t find her before the end of the day.
Authorities had to stop the mission for a short time when night fell. A high-ranking official said that the suspension was a necessary safety measure because visibility was almost nonexistent and the terrain was dangerous at night. “The search and rescue mission was called off after dark.” The official said, “The State Response Team (SRT) of the district will start working again tomorrow.”
The State Response Team is set to go back to the site early Thursday morning to start the dive and surface searches again. Local governments have used this terrible event to remind tourists to stay safe by staying away from the slippery edges of waterfalls and not taking risky pictures in dangerous places. The family is still at the site waiting for more news from the recovery teams.