Madikeri: A woman tourist from Kerala went missing while trekking in the Thadiyandamol hill ranges yesterday, triggering a search operation by the Forest Department and the Police.

The missing tourist has been identified as Sharanya (36). She had checked into a homestay at Yavakapadi village after booking her stay online and had set out alone to trek to Thadiyandamol.

As wild elephants are known to roam the area, she was advised to join a group of trekkers for safety and was sent along with other tourists heading to the peak.

However, while the rest of the trekkers returned safely, Sharanya did not. Concerned residents alerted the Forest Department, which in turn informed the Police.

Forest officials, Police personnel and local villagers carried out an extensive search across the hill range, but no trace of the woman was found. With darkness setting in, the search operation was suspended and is scheduled to resume today, according to Kudiyara Muthappa.

Reports indicate that her mobile phone is connected to a Malayalam network. Napoklu Police Sub-Inspector Raghavendra, along with forest personnel, has set up camp at the site to coordinate the search efforts.

Raghavendra told Star of Mysore this morning that search operations were continuing in coordination with the Forest Department to trace Sharanya. “The search began last evening, but we could not cover a wider area. As it grew dark, we suspended the operation and resumed it early this morning. So far, there is no information,” he said.