A 13-year-old Assamese girl from Kerala, who had gone missing a day earlier, was located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on Wednesday night following an extensive search by the police and local volunteers. The girl, Thasmid Thamasum, the eldest daughter of a daily wage worker from Assam living in Kazhakkoottam near Thiruvananthapuram, was found safe on a train bound for West Bengal.
The breakthrough came when members of the Malayalee Association in Visakhapatnam spotted Thasmid on the train, as repoted by PTI. News channels aired visuals showing the girl, appearing safe and eating food, bringing relief to her worried family.
Her parents, who had been anxiously awaiting news, expressed their joy and gratitude towards the police and media for their role in finding their daughter. "We were worried whether she had eaten anything since yesterday. Now we are happy," her mother told news channels. Thasmid had reportedly informed her family that she left home because her mother had scolded her, but now she wanted to return.
The search for Thasmid began in earnest after she was last seen at around 10:30 AM on Tuesday at her rented home. Following her disappearance, her parents filed a complaint with the local police, leading to a large-scale search operation. The police reviewed CCTV footage from various locations, including railway and bus stations, in their efforts to trace her.
The first significant lead came from a woman passenger who had spotted a girl resembling Thasmid on a Kanyakumari-bound train and shared a photograph with the police. This photo was later confirmed by her parents to be of their missing daughter.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Kerala Police, local organizations, and the media, Thasmid was found safe, much to the relief of her family.