NILGIRIS: A house in a residential area in Coonoor collapsed after a giant rock fell 100 feet off a mountain top owing to continuous rains in the district.
Due to heavy downpour, tourist destinations in Nilgiris remained closed on Wednesday. It has been raining heavily in Nilgiris for the past few days, and landslips have become a common occurrence in various areas around Coonoor, especially on the railway line between Mettupalayam to Ooty. The mountain railway service was cancelled for the fifth day.
Meanwhile, a giant rock fell from a height of about 100 feet from the top of a mountain in the Appleby Joyce Building area near Coonoor and fell on the residence. In the collision, a house owned by Praveen was completely damaged. People inside the house narrowly escaped. Revenue officials inspected the area and instructed that no one should stay indoors at night, as there was a risk of landslips occurring again.
Firefighters removed a tree that fell on the road in the Coonoor Military College area on Wednesday. The highways department also cleared rocks that had landed on the Coonoor and Kotagiri mountain passes using earthmovers.
Similarly, after heavy rains that lashed the surroundings of Ooty, a boulder fell on the road near Kaatteri Dam between Kethi Palada-Kendala Road. No motorists were injured. Due to heavy rain and strong winds, the eco-tourism destinations of Pine Forest, 8th Mile Tree Park, Doddabetta, Avalanche, Cairn Hill, and Lams Rock remained closed on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneru inspected rain damage in the Kunjapanai area of Kotagiri. Residents of landslip-prone areas in Kotagiri and Coonoor have been accommodated in relief camps for their safety. State disaster relief teams are stationed at Coonoor and Kotagiri.
