Kozhikode: Rescue teams are searching for a 10-year-old girl who went missing in the Cherupuzha River at Manipuram near Koduvally on Friday evening. The girl, identified as Thanha Sherin, slipped into the river while she was there with her mother and 12-year-old brother.

Though her mother and brother also fell into the river, both managed to reach the banks safely. According to Manipuram ward member Ashraf Bhava, the family had gone to the river to wash clothes after a wedding function, as their nearby water source was muddy following heavy rain. “One of them might have slipped into the river first, and the others fell while trying to rescue. They were on a rock, and there were strong currents in the river after heavy rain on Thursday,” he said.

The search operation, led by the Fire and Rescue Department with support from the White Guard Koduvally Municipal unit and residents, was suspended at night and will resume on Saturday. Scuba divers from Mukkom, Vellimadukunnu and Meenchantha units are part of the operation.