Raipur/Bijapur Jan 24 (NationPress) In a tragic conclusion to an extensive search in the secluded Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, rescue teams discovered the last body on Saturday from the Indravati River.

The final victim, 70-year-old Bhado, was located caught in thick underbrush along the riverbank approximately a kilometer downstream from where the incident occurred. Just a day prior, the body of 25-year-old Sunita Kawasi was found about 500 meters from the site of the tragedy, bringing to an end a challenging operation complicated by powerful currents and dense foliage.

Earlier recoveries included the bodies of 45-year-old Podia and her young two-year-old son Rakesh, discovered tied together with a towel, suggesting a mother’s desperate attempt to shield her child from the rushing waters.

This incident claimed the lives of an entire family from Bodga village: Podia, Rakesh, Sunita Kawasi, and her grandfather Bhado. The loss has left the close-knit tribal community in this remote area in deep mourning.

Compounding the tragedy, the family’s patriarch Sannu remains unaware of the incident. He had departed weeks earlier for work in Andhra Pradesh, and the lack of reliable communication in this Naxal-affected region has hindered any attempts to inform him, leaving villagers struggling with how to convey the devastating news.

The accident occurred as the group was returning from the weekly market in Uspari, a customary trip for residents of Bodga and neighboring villages.

With no bridge, paved roads, or alternative routes across the river in this Maoist-influenced area near the dense Abujhmad forests, residents rely solely on overloaded wooden boats to cross.

During the crossing with around a dozen passengers, the boat was suddenly capsized by the swollen monsoon currents, throwing four individuals into the water.

Local elders recount that the Indravati has claimed many lives over the years, particularly during the post-rainy season when its waters become treacherous and merciless.

While ongoing anti-Naxal initiatives have improved security with camps now established along previously dangerous routes, the ongoing absence of fundamental infrastructure continues to threaten lives in these isolated tribal communities.