Nine Persons From Kerala Killed In A Van Mishap In Valparai
The accident happened at around 5.15 pm when the minivan they were travelling in lost control and plunged off the road near hairpin bend 13: Reports
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At least nine people including two children from Malappuram district in
Kerala lost their lives when their minivan plunged off the road near hairpin bend 13 at Valparai, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, and fell into a 500-feet-deep gorge at around 5.15 pm on Friday. The identity of the dead and the injured is being ascertained by the police and local authorities.
According to preliminary information, the victims were staff members of Parammal LP School at Pangu near Kolathur in Malappuram district. Thirteen people, mostly women teachers, were in the vehicle. The group was returning from Pollachi.
The mishap occurred on a remote stretch of the Pollachi-Valparai Road and was noticed by locals only after some time, delaying rescue efforts. Authorities were later informed, and the injured were taken to hospitals in Pollachi.
Kerala DGP Revatha Chandrasekhar said he has been in constant touch with the Tamil Nadu police to ensure proper treatment for the injured. The exact cause of the accident is still being probed.
Local MLA Manjalamkuzhy Ali is in regular contact with the district authorities to coordinate rescue efforts. A team from Malappuram has departed for the accident site, while another team is on its way to Coimbatore to assist the injured who have been admitted to hospitals there.