Kottayam: The `vanishing’ of four-year-old Sana Fathima from the front yard of her house has become the talk of the town in Panathoor in Kasargod.

A pall of gloom has dawned on the region and residents are in the grip of shock.

The government has formed a special team to trace the child after the police failed to get any clue about her whereabouts.

Police and Fire and Rescue personnel have tried there level best to trace her but all attempts appear so far to have gone in vain.

Police searched the settlement of migrant workers and got no lead. Fire and rescue teams sieved all most all of the water bodies in the area.

P Karunakaran, MP, visited the house of Sana and promised all help to her parents Ibrahim and Hasina.

Divers have been engaged to search rivers and other water bodies.

Police have questioned four women engaged in picking rags in the area. Some of the relatives have also been quizzed.

Coast guard is engaged in search operations for the last two days in the region where Chandragiri river joins Arabian Sea.

Youth outfits, voluntary organisations and others are extending their help to government agencies.

Suspicion is getting strong that the child could have been kidnapped by the mafia engaged in using children for begging.

Police have alerted police stations in neighbouring state about the missing child.