CHENNAI: A timber-laden truck plunged nearly 100 feet down a slope near Kotagiri on Sunday after its wheels sank into slush on the roadside. Fortunately, nobody was inside the truck.

The dramatic footage of the truck tumbling several times into a tea estate has gone viral on social media. Police said the truck, driven by Arun, was transporting logs from Kattabettu to Ooty when he parked it by the roadside on Saturday night following heavy rain.

When he attempted to resume the journey on Sunday morning, the truck's wheels sank into the slush under the weight of the timber, leaving it stuck. He then decided to arrange a crane to retrieve the vehicle and went to a nearby tea shop.

Meanwhile, the truck, apparently unable to withstand the load's weight, tilted sideways and plunged a nearly 100-foot-deep slope, rolling several times through a tea estate.

The logs loaded on the truck were scattered across the estate. "As Arun had stepped away moments before the accident, he escaped unhurt," police said. People who witnessed the incident recorded the truck tumbling down the slope on their mobile phones and shared the footage on social media.

The police are taking steps to retrieve the mangled remains of vehicle and have advised goods vehicle operators against overloading, particularly during the rainy season.