Ottapalam: The mortal remains of Sreenanda, a native of Kadampazhipuram in Ottapalam who died during a sightseeing trip to Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, have been brought back to her home. It has been five days since the accident claimed the life of the 15-year-old. The last rites will be held on Saturday afternoon at the Ivormadom crematorium at Pampady in Thiruvilwamala.

Relatives, locals and classmates gathered at the house in Kadampazhipuram to catch a final glimpse of Sreenanda. Many of her classmates broke down in tears, unable to bear the sight of their dear friend lying lifeless. Her mother, Rohini, was seen exhausted from grief, with relatives struggling to console her.

The body was recovered from a 1500-foot-deep gorge after a rigorous four-day search. Sreenanda went missing at around 5.30 pm last Tuesday near the Manikhyadhara waterfalls in Baba Budangiri. She was part of a 40-member tour group that included her parents, having set off on the journey in the early hours of April 8.

Following her disappearance, a massive search operation was launched by a Karnataka government task force consisting of nearly a hundred personnel. Her body was eventually found trapped in a tree deep within the ravine. In a poignant detail, Sreenanda was seen smiling in a photograph taken at 5.20 pm, only to go missing by 5.24 pm. It is believed the accident occurred within those few short minutes.

The preliminary post-mortem report indicates that the impact of the fall led to her death. The report notes that she sustained injuries across her body, and death was caused by excessive bleeding from a head injury.