IDUKKI: A group of foreign tourists, who were trapped after a landslide near Plum Judy Resort at Pallivasal amid week-long showers that killed at least 11 people, are struggling to reach the major town at Munnar.
At least 57 tourists, including 24 foreigners from USA, Singapore, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Russia and UAE were trapped on Thursday morning at 7 am after a large mass of earth and boulders tumbled from the slopes of a nearest hill near the KSEB Tunnel due to incessant rain, blocking the only route to get access to the resort.
Speaking to TNIE over the telephone, one of the tourists said, "We had come to Munnar to visit the Eravikulam National Park, and to see the blooming of Neelakurinji at various pockets here. We had planned to return on Thursday evening but as the news spread about loose boulders and landslides, we were asked to halt at the hotel. We will now leave as soon as the debris is cleared. We request the authorities to take necessary step at the earliest."
Jenson Malikappuram, a resident told Express that he had informed about the issue to the sub-collector. However, since the sub-collector was at Adimaly to guide rescue operations of a five-member family, who got trapped inside a landslip, he had passed the information to the revenue officials to take necessary steps at the earliest.
But till Friday morning, none of the officials have come to their rescue nor any effort has been taken to remove the debris.
"The taxi drivers who have taken the tourists to the resort are the worst struggling as they have been spending the past whole night inside their vehicles, amid heavy showers outside," he said,
"We too came to know that it was a landslip near the resort due to which the roads were blocked. I had instructed the revenue officials to help the authorities to clear the debris. The continuous downpour might have thwarted efforts to the clear the road as well. However, action will be soon taken to clear the debris sooner and tourists will be sent to their respective locations safer," said Idukki sub collector V R Premkumar.
The resort was closed twice earlier by the revenue officials under the leadership of the then sub collector Sreeram Venkitaraman when huge boulders from the nearest hill fell near the resort during the monsoon. The resort was closed with the revenue officials finding that the resort was constructed in an environmentally fragile area. However, the resort authorities opened it again by obtaining special order from the court. This is for the third time that a similar mishap is occurring near the resort area.
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