(MENAFN- IANS) Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 2 (IANS) After hours of intense search operation, three officials, who went missing inside Kerala's Bonakkad inner forest during a tiger population survey, were safely located on Tuesday morning.

A rescue team traced them to Eratumukku, a remote, dense forest patch close to Bonakkad, early this morning.

Officials confirmed that the team is now being escorted back to safety.

The personnel -- Vineetha, a woman forester with the Palode Range Office, BFO Rajesh, and forest watcher Rajesh -- had entered the Bonakkad forest on Monday morning as part of a routine tiger census exercise.

The team was expected to return by evening, but communication with them broke down soon after they moved deeper into the forest.

When repeated attempts to contact them failed, authorities launched a search operation late in the evening.

The Rapid Response Team (RRT), along with local forest staff familiar with the rugged terrain, initiated a combing operation through the night.

The Bonakkad region lies along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, and includes the ecologically sensitive Agasthyarmala belt, an area known for difficult terrain, limited connectivity, and the presence of wild animals -- factors that heightened concern among officials.

Senior officials, including the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), monitored the search effort and reached the site early Tuesday.

Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran, who had earlier stated that it was“too early to say they were missing” and that only communication had been lost, confirmed the positive development, stating that all three officials are safe and being brought out.

Preliminary reports suggest that the officials lost their way after moving beyond the mapped survey route, and dense forest cover made communication nearly impossible.

Officials said medical teams have been kept on standby, though early indications suggest all three are fine.

With the recovery of the team, forest authorities are expected to review safety protocols for field staff engaged in wildlife surveys in high-risk zones.

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