COIMBATORE: For over 48 hours, two men lay trapped with the bodies of their five friends in the mangled remains of a car that slipped into a gorge on Kalhatti-Masinagudi Ghat Road in Nilgiris, until they were rescued on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as N Ravi Varma (38), Ibrahim (36), J Jayakumar (37) of Chennai, Amarnath (36) and J Judes Anto Kevin (33) of Thoothukudi. The survivors were B Rama Rajesh (37) and Arun (37). Rajesh was admitted to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital while Arun was being treated at a Masinagudi hospital.
While the accident is believed to have taken place on Monday, police launched a manhunt for the seven tourists only Wednesday when the staff of the hotel at which they were staying reported them missing.
A special team comprising the police and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) officials tried to trace the location of the tourists using mobile signal triangulation. However, they could only ascertain that the last call was registered near Ulhatty on the way to MTR. After zeroing in on a tentative location, a massive search was launched. Forest officials noticed signs of a mishap near a deep gorge adjacent to the 35th hairpin bend on the Kallatty-Masinagudi road. The team moved downhill and found the mangled remains of the car. A rescue operation was mounted, but five of the occupants were found dead. However, two had survived the crash — and the elements — for over two days.
Stretch closed for outstation vehicles
According to the police, the group had arrived in the Nilgiris on September 30. They were staying at a private hotel at Fern Hill in Udhagamandalam. The next day, they set out on a trip to MTR at around 8 am. However, they failed to return till late in the evening.
As there was no word from the group, the hotel management contacted the police. Sources said the accident occurred on the morning of October 1. Preliminary inquiry suggested the driver had lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a steep slope. The car veered off the road and fell nearly 70 metres.
Heavy rain in the area delayed the rescue operations and emergency response. Meanwhile, Pudumandhu police registered a case. The Nilgiris Superintendent of Police, D Shanmuga Priya, said that the Kalhatti Ghat Road was closed for outstation vehicles because of the gradient, which requires careful manoeuvring for almost 15 km. The car used by the tourists was Thoothukudi registered. “Investigations are on to find who allowed the outstation vehicle despite officials manning a check post,” she said.