Trip turns tragic as 5 of 7 friends die after car plunges into 300 feet gorge

Though the incident occurred on 1 October, it went unnoticed till Wednesday. “The wrecked car was spotted at a 300 feet deep gorge on Wednesday around 3.15pm. The survivors had spent more than 48 hours in the wrecked car beside their dead friends,” said a police officer.

Police identified the seven tourists as Jude Anto Kevin, 34, a ship captain from Thoothukudi and his friends Ram Rajesh, 36 from Kolathur first main road, Ibrahim, 35 from Ismayil Street in Vyasarpadi, Ravi Varma, 39 from Veerapandi Street, Jayakumar, 36 from Selvam Nagar in Perambur, Arun, 36 and Amarnath, 35, both hailing from different areas in Perambur. Of them, Ram Rajesh and Arun, who were grievously injured, were rushed to the Ooty Government Hospital.

“They all had visited Ooty on September 30 and stayed in a hotel. Next day, at 8 am, they left for Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) for sightseeing. Since then, they remained untraceable as their mobile phones too could not be reached,” the officer said.

As the families failed to contact the seven, they reached out to the police, who launched search operations with the help of Forest Department officials on Wednesday. Around 3.15 pm, Forest Department staff spotted the wreckage in the gorge at the 35th hairpin bend of Kalhatti Ghat Road.

Braving the chilly weather and darkness, the team descended to the gorge to find Ram Rajesh and Arun alive inside the vehicle. Police rescued them and rushed them to Ooty GH. Later Ram Rajesh was shifted to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), while Arun was taken to a private hospital in Mysore for further treatment.

The bodies of the deceased persons were sent to Ooty GH for a post-mortem eaxmination.

Nilgiris District Superintendent of Police D Shanmuga Priya said the accident could have happened due to brake failure. “They weren’t drunk. Outstation vehicles are generally not allowed to take the Kalhatti Ghat Road as it is too steep and dangerous. An inquiry is on to know how the cops at the check post permitted this vehicle to go through,” she said.