A tourist from Tripura, who went missing in Nagaland’s Dzükou Valley on January 4, was found dead on Friday (February 6, 2026) night, officials said.
Firefighters battling an ongoing forest fire in the Dzükou Valley, a popular tourist destination between Manipur and Nagaland, found the body of Pranab Das, a resident of West Tripura district.
Zasitolie Beio, president of the Southern Angami Youth Organisation, said the body was recovered from a spot above a cave near the Jakhama camp, an area not usually used by tourists. The group monitors tourist activities in the area.
Members of the organization began an investigation after a missing person case was reported on January 13. They discovered that Das had checked in at the Dzükou ticket office in Viswema on January 4 and confirmed that he had followed the hiking route but had not reached the base camp in the Dzükou Valley.
The group members subsequently launched a search and rescue operation along with the local police, Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority staff, members of the Southern Angami Guide Council and villagers from the area.
The missing man’s father, brother and uncle joined the search from January 13 to 16, and the operation was called off on January 17 after all known and used routes had been covered.
Firefighters got involved in the last week of January when a forest fire broke out. The valley is prone to forest fires and large areas are affected almost every year.
Published – 07 Feb 2026 20:48 IST
