New Zealand: Ice Fall Tragedy - Body of Akshay Miranda (22) Remains Elusive

Update on Sunday, Jan 11, 2009

With input from Bert Naik, Australia

South Island ( New Zealand), Jan 11: The Miranda family, while very saddened over their inability to know conclusively the fate of their younger son, Akshay (22), have conveyed to the community that funeral arrangements for Ashish (24) would be made shortly.

It is fairly confirmed, however, that the funeral for Ashish will not be held before Thursday, 15th Jan 2009, as the authorities in New Zealand have not completed the post mortem and other formalities as required under the regulations.

Ronnie and Winnie Miranda, the parents of Akshay and Ashish, were understandably hoping against hope to hear something positive about the fate of Akshay. However, the authorities in New Zealand, aware of the dangers posed by the glacier, have not been able to provide an answer the parents  so desperately waited to hear.

According to various sources, Akshay was very next to the ice wall at the time of the accident. The falling ice-blocks, the size of cars and trucks,  covered much of the ground several meters from the ice wall, thus evaporating any hope that Akshay's body might be retrieved in the foreseeable future.
 
According to a  media release by the police ,   a second significant ice collapse has occurred just upstream from the original collapse. This has restricted the river flow through the original site and will slow down any further shifting of the ice.
Department of Conservation (DoC) will continue to have two staff monitoring the site. This will continue during daylight hours until at least Monday. The Police will be meeting with DoC on Monday to reassess the situation.
Meanwhile the father of the boys, Ronnie Miranda had earlier told daijiworld over the phone that they would return to Melbourne with   the body of the elder son as they have now  come to accept that Ashish needs to be farewelled.

The parents have also pleaded to all media to understand their present grief, and to respect their privacy. Any phone-calls made to them, regardless of how good the intent was, would only add to their grief.

The Mangalorean Catholic Association of Victoria, Inc (MCAV) will send out updates on the funeral arrangements as they become available.

Earlier:

South Island ( New Zealand) - Jan 10 : With the third day coming to an end , the search teams could not close in on the Fox glacier to try and search for the body of Akshay.
 
Daijiworld managed to contact the father , Ronnie Miranda over telephone at  The West Haven Motel in Fox Glacier. The anguished father said that search and recovery operations have been completely abandoned as the ice is fast melting and there could be chances of more ice collapsing. Since Akshay's body is believed to be trapped right under the huge mass of ice boulders, they have no other choice but to wait until further ice melts and his body could be visible or washed down stream where it is safer for the rescue team to get hold of it.
 
Ronnie also told daijiworld that they would be leaving for Christ Church today to take custody of the body of their older son Ashish and fly back to Melbourne. The funeral arrangements will be announced when formalities are completed

Jan 9, 2009

South Island ( New Zealand) - Jan 9 : New Zealand  rescue services abandoned the search operations  for the second day, leaving Akshay still  under the tons of ice that buried the two brothers last evening.

Daijiworld contacted Cynthia Miranda, paternal aunt of the boys, residing at Mumbai who said that the family has been informed that search operations will resume again tomorrow.

Together ... pictures on Facebook show the brothers attending World Youth Day last year

Melbourne brothers Akshay, left, and Ashish Miranda, pictured on a Facebook page.

Family members with police and glacier guides at the base of Fox Glacier

It is reported that it is raining at the glacier and the snow is fast melting, thus making it very dangerous for the recovery team to go close and dig the ice.  However,  round the clock vigil with focus lights is in place on the stream that would hopefully wash Akshay’s body down when enough ice melts.

It is believed that the parents of the boys,  Ronnie and Winnie are still at the resort where they had originally checked in, are refusing to leave for home without taking Akshay’s body with them. It was not immediately possible to speak to the parents who are still in a state of shock.

Asked if there could be a remote chance of Akshay coming out alive, Cynthia said that even if the boy was caught in an air pocket, the extreme cold would make it difficult for him to survive for so long. But she still requested for prayers.

Earlier News:

New Zealand: Two Mangalorean origin Brothers Feared Dead Under Ice Glacier

By Naveen Frank
Daijiworld Media Network 
 
South Island ( New Zealand) - Jan 8 :  In a tragic accident two young Mangalorean origin brothers  Akshay (22)  and  Ashish ( 24)  are reported to have been buried under an ice glacier in the south island of New Zealand this morning.  The two boys were holidaying along with their parents when the tragedy took place.

Ashish Miranda (24) and Akshay Miranda (22)

The parents , Ronnie and Winnie Miranda originally from IC Colony , Borivili Mumbai had migrated to Melbourne, Australia along with their two sons. They undertook a holiday to New Zealand . It is reported that the two boys had gone close to the glacier to get a photograph taken when the ice caved in and fell on them, burying them alive even when their parents were watching them.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and  tried to rescue them. But it was too difficult to cut through hard ice.  The body of Ashish was later dug out. Search and rescue operations were given up at 1100 pm local time.  It is now left for the local emergency units to continue recovery operations tomorrow morning to get Akshay's body out of the ice. 
 
Daijiworld contacted the aunt of the boys living in Mumbai who says that they are still hoping and praying that the younger boy would somehow be found alive tomorrow. She has requested daijiworld  readers to pray for the departed soul and also for the parents and relatives to bear this tragic loss.