Tragic accident occurs near Anayirankal as a 28-member group from Tamil Nadu was returning from Munnar.
IDUKKI: Two people were killed and 22 others sustained injuries after a tourist minibus lost control and plunged into a deep gorge at Anayirankal near Pooppara on Thursday afternoon. The deceased have been identified as Stella Mary (58) and Bhagya Jyothi, both residents of Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu.
Vehicle Lost Control on Hairpin Curve
The accident occurred at around 4:00 PM on Thursday when the 28-member tourist group was returning home after visiting the hill station of Munnar. The group comprised 18 women, four men, and six children, hailing from Virudhunagar and Aruppukottai.
According to preliminary reports, the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp curve on the undulating terrain. The minibus subsequently crashed through a roadside culvert and plummeted more than 50 feet down into a tea plantation below, turning over completely.
Swift Rescue Operations Underway
Local residents, plantation workers, and passengers from trailing vehicles immediately rushed to the spot to initiate rescue operations. They faced a challenging task as they worked together to extricate the passengers who were trapped inside the mangled remains of the overturned bus.
“The impact was severe. Stella Mary sustained critical head injuries and was rushed to the Tata Highrange Hospital in Munnar, but she unfortunately succumbed to her injuries,” stated a rescue worker involved in the operation.
Medical Response and Condition of the Injured
The remaining injured passengers were initially transported to the Tata Highrange Hospital in Munnar. Following initial triaging, six individuals who sustained severe injuries were shifted to the Government Theni Medical College Hospital in Tamil Nadu for advanced medical care. The remaining passengers continue to receive treatment at local healthcare facilities.
The Munnar-Pooppara stretch is a major tourist corridor, but it is often prone to accidents due to steep gradients and sharp bends, particularly for drivers unfamiliar with the terrain. Local authorities have initiated an investigation into the exact cause of the vehicle’s mechanical failure or driver error.
