Thiruvananthapuram: The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has informed that steps are being taken to bring home the mortal remains of geologist Anish Mohan as quickly as possible. A native of Pampady in Kottayam, Anish died following the collapse of a hydroelectric project construction tunnel in Sikkim. His body, which was recovered at around 11 pm last night, is expected to reach Kolkata Airport by 1 pm on Friday via road transport from Sikkim.

Following the intervention of NORKA, a mobile unit for embalming the body has been arranged at Kolkata Airport. Once embalmed, the remains will be dispatched to Kochi on the next available flight. An ambulance facility will also be arranged at Kochi Airport to transport the body to his family home in Kottayam. All arrangements are being coordinated by NORKA on the instructions of the Chief Minister.

The landslide occurred on Monday afternoon. So far, the bodies of 20 victims involved in the accident have been recovered, whilst five bodies remain missing. Officials of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), along with employees and workers of the construction contracting firm, were trapped inside the tunnel following the landslide.

Anish was a Senior Manager and Geologist with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation. The news of the accident reached his hometown on Monday night around 8 pm, when NHPC officials contacted A U Aneesh, Head of the Geology Department at Kottayam Government College, where Anish had studied, to request contact numbers for his relatives. Company officials also phoned Anish’s brother Binish, who resides in Abu Dhabi. Anish’s wife Dr Sangeetha and her brother Bineesh were flown to Sikkim from Delhi by NHPC authorities.

Anish completed his BSc in Geology from Kottayam Government College during 2001–2004 and his MSc during 2004–2006. He joined the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation in Haryana in 2011, where he was living with his family. He transferred to Sikkim seven months ago for work, following which his wife Sangeetha and their children Arnav and Kathyayani relocated to a house in Tripunithura.

His father P K Mohanan, a retired teacher from Thottakkad Government High School, and his mother Amminikkutty, also a retired teacher, reside at their family home at Manarcaud. They have only been informed that an accident occurred at his workplace.