KODAIKANAL
Sixteen persons, including four children and six doctors, were injured when a tourists van, in which they were travelling, nosedived into a 70-foot-deep gorge on Kodaikanal-Palani Ghat Road near Saverikadu on Thursday.
The injured were admitted to Palani Government Hospital and a private hospital.
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The injured included Prasanth Agarwal, (44), Manthra Agarwal (42), Manthra Ramkumar Heda (40), Megha Heda, (11), Sriyas Manthri (10), Sakshi (10), Sathyan Mantri (45), Robali Manthri (42), Thamish Agarwal (13), Rish Agarwal (7), Anna Reddy (9), and Anubha (45) of Akola district in Maharashtra.
The condition of one of the injured, R. Jai (14), was very critical. After first aid, he was admitted to a private hospital for advanced medical care.
After preliminary investigation, police said the tourists from Maharashtra were going to Palani from Kodaikanal after a holiday trip to the hill station.
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When the van approached a deep curve on Palani-Kodaikanal Ghat Road, it skidded off the road owing to brake failure, broke the parapet and nosedived into the gorge, they added.
Two of the occupants of the van managed to come out of it and climbed up the slope to reach the road. They sought the help of tourists crossing the spot to rescue the others.
The passers-by pulled the other injured out of the van. Later, Fire and Rescue Services personnel brought them to the road and sent them to the Palani hospital in an ambulance van.
A case has been registered in this connection.