Kohima: The Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) has said it has failed to trace Pranab Das, a domestic tourist from Tripura, despite a large search and rescue effort in and around Dzükou Valley.

In a press release, SAYO said Das, a resident of Srinagar district in West Tripura, went missing on January 4. However, the matter was reported to the organisation only on January 13.

After receiving the information, SAYO found that Das was last seen on January 4 at the Dzükou Ticketing Counter in Viswema, which confirmed his entry into the trekking route. There was no record of his arrival at the Dzükou Valley Base Camp.

Following this, a joint search and rescue operation was launched. More than 200 volunteers took part in the operation, including police teams from South Police Station and Khuzama Police Station, officials of the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), members of the Southern Angami Tour Guide Council (SATGC), and volunteers from Southern Angami villages.

According to SAYO, the teams searched all possible trekking routes leading to Dzükou Valley and also combed the valley area. Drone-assisted searches were also carried out with expert support. The search operation continued from January 13 to January 16 and was joined by Das’s father, uncle, and brother.

“Despite exhaustive efforts, the operation did not yield any positive result,” the organisation stated.

SAYO also expressed concern over repeated such incidents and reminded tourists about the safety rules for trekking to Dzükou Valley. It said that as per the guidelines in force since October 1, 2025, it is mandatory for all national and international tourists to hire a local tour guide while trekking to the valley.

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