Fears for ‘vulnerable’ Irish tourist Liga Skromane, 33, who vanished in India four days ago

FEARS are growing for a "depressed" Irish tourist who disappeared from a wellness retreat in India six days ago.

Liga Skromane, diagnosed with post-traumatic depression, complained of a headache and skipped the morning yoga class she was due to attend with her sister Ilze last week.

Returning to their room an hour later at 8.30am, Ilze found that her sister’s sandals had vanished, but her bag, passport and wallet were still in the room.

With help from staff at the Dharma Ayurveda Centre for Advanced Healing in Kerala, she discovered Liga had gotten into a local rickshaw at 7.30am.

She is understood to have travelled 20 miles south to Kovalam beach, where she was dropped at the main beach rickshaw stand at around 8.30am.

Panicked, Ilze headed to the beach, speaking to two people who had passed her at around 11.30am - but after that Liga was nowhere to be seen.

Ilze said: “She is vulnerable and gentle, she is too trusting. My worst fear is that someone may have approached her for something bad. That’s my biggest worry.

“We searched all the beach area and we were showing Liga's photo to shop owners, restaurant staff, traders, everyone we could.

“After a few hours we went to the printing place and printed Liga's picture. We glued it on main spots were people could see it… We drove to two other nearby beaches, stopped at all the rickshaw stands and showed her picture.”

Liga was registered as a missing person with the Pothencode police, who told Ilze not to worry and promised they would find her sister within two days.

Six days after her sister’s disappearance, Ilze is now putting pressure on the Indian police to expand their search area.

“He [the police] kept assuring us that everything is going to be okay, that we will find her soon.

We kept asking what exactly is being done? Have you checked hospitals, CCTV, ashrams, bus stations, rickshaw stands? Where have you looked? We kept stressing the vulnerable state of Liga due to her depression."

The police are searching homestays and resorts in previous towns the sisters visited, with Ilze appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Liga, a citizen of Latvia but a permanent resident of Ireland who has lived in Dublin for the past five years, was holidaying in India at the wellness resort to improve her health with traditional Ayurvedic healing practices.

If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or visit  website.