Rain-Soaked Soil Causes Timber Lorry to Plunge Into Nilgiris Gorge
A video showing the lorry tumbling into the gorge and wooden logs scattering across the area has gone viral on social media
NILGIRIS: A lorry loaded with eucalyptus logs plunged nearly 100 feet into a gorge at Kattabettu near Kotagiri in the Nilgiris on Sunday morning after its wheels reportedly got stuck in rain-soaked mud. The driver escaped unhurt as he had stepped away from the vehicle shortly before it rolled down the slope.
A video showing the lorry tumbling into the gorge and wooden logs scattering across the area has gone viral on social media. The vehicle landed in a tea estate below. No injuries were reported.
According to Kotagiri police, the driver, Arun Prasath, 29, had parked the lorry along the roadside on Saturday night to attend nature's call. The vehicle, which was transporting eucalyptus logs from Kattabettu near Kotagiri to a factory in Ooty, became stuck in slush after rainfall in the area.
As it was drizzling and night had set in, Arun Prasath decided to leave the vehicle there and try to move it the following morning. However, when he returned on Sunday, he was unable to get the lorry out of the slush, as its left-side tyres had sunk into the soft soil under the weight of the timber.
After stepping away from the vehicle, he watched as the lorry suddenly rolled down the slope and plunged into the gorge. The driver escaped without injuries, and no one else was hurt.
The wooden logs have since been retrieved, while efforts are under way to recover the lorry from the gorge.
