Tourists Stranded In Pathanamthitta Forest Rescued With 'BSNL's Help' — Their Viral Post Sparks Internet Buzz

The group had set off from Chadayamangalam in Kollam in the early morning as part of a scheduled package tour covering Adavi, Parunthumpara, Moozhiyar, and Gavi.

Although the stranded passengers were able to contact KSRTC officials thanks to mobile coverage provided by BSNL, the situation remained tense for several hours.

Source : Pixabay

A group of 38 tourists, including women and children, endured hours of uncertainty on Thursday after their KSRTC package tour bus broke down deep inside the Moozhiyar forest en route to Gavi. The incident occurred around 11:15 AM and despite early alerts to authorities, help took hours to reach the remote location.

The group had set off from Chadayamangalam in Kollam in the early morning as part of a scheduled package tour covering Adavi, Parunthumpara, Moozhiyar, and Gavi, as per a report on Manorama. The bus, operated by the Chadayamangalam KSRTC depot, encountered mechanical issues in a dense and isolated stretch near Moozhiyar, part of the ecologically sensitive Gavi region.

'Remote, Not Disconnected': BSNL's Promise  

Although the stranded passengers were able to contact KSRTC officials thanks to mobile coverage provided by BSNL, the situation remained tense for several hours. The telecom operator later highlighted its role, saying, “Remote, not disconnected – that’s the BSNL promise.” Their network enabled timely communication with KSRTC’s emergency response team.

BSNL Kerala, taking to X said, "KSRTC bus carrying around 40 passengers broke down deep inside the Gavi forest in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, leaving the group stranded in a remote area with no immediate help. In this critical situation, BSNL’s network coverage played a vital role, enabling the bus staff to quickly contact the KSRTC depot and inform them of the emergency."

A replacement bus was reportedly dispatched from the Kumily depot, with assistance from forest officials. However, relief was delayed further when a second bus sent from Pathanamthitta arrived around 3:30 PM —only to suffer a clutch malfunction, leaving passengers still without transport.

Forest department personnel remained at the scene to support the stranded tourists as KSRTC scrambled to send another functioning vehicle.