Teenager from Kerala on tour with family killed in tree fall in the Nilgiris

Tragic incidents in Nilgiris due to heavy rain, including a fatal tree fall and SUV rescue, prompt safety measures.

A 15-year-old boy from Kerala, who had come to the Nilgiris with his family for a tour, was killed by a falling tree, which was uprooted due to heavy rain on Sunday.

The victim, identified as P. Adhidev of Kozhikode, was at Eighth Mile, a popular picnicking spot for tourists, when the tree fell on him. Residents and family members tried to rush him to the hospital, but he had already died of his injuries, police said. Nilgiris Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru and Coonoor MLA K. Ramachandran met the teenager’s family and consoled them.

In another incident, three people were rescued by the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel after the SUV they were travelling in got stuck in a flooded river near Choondi in Gudalur on Saturday night. The firefighters rescued the occupants after securing the car with ropes to prevent it from being washed away.

Rainfall intensified across the Nilgiris on Sunday, with an average of 47.53 mm being recorded till Sunday morning. Avalanche received more than 200 mm of rainfall, officials said.

Despite precautions taken by the Forest Department and the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) to close most major tourist spots, including Avalanche, Ninth Mile, Pine Forest, Doddabetta Peak, Pykara and Ooty Boat Houses, and Lamb’s Rock, many people braved the inclement weather to visit the Government Botanical Garden and Sims Park, where the Annual Flower and Fruit Shows were being held. On Sunday evening, Ms. Tanneeru said as a further precaution, the Government Botanical Garden and Rose Garden too would be closed on Monday.

P. Krishnamurthy, District Fire Officer (Nilgiris district), said the Fire Department had received more than 31 complaints regarding fallen trees across the Nilgiris. “We have been working with other government departments as well as the local civic bodies to clear the trees and restore traffic flow across the district,” said Mr. Krishnamurthy. He added that around 30 trees were uprooted in Glenmorgan area due to the extreme weather. The Nilgiris district administration also urged tourists to return to their hotel rooms by dusk.

Ms. Tanneeru and Mr. Ramachandran visited landslip-prone areas and took stock of rain mitigation measures being implemented across the district. They also visited families that had been evacuated to temporary relief shelters in the Nilgiris and distributed blankets and essential commodities to them.