A van carrying a group of tourists caught fire near the Ari checkpost on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border in Kumily on Tuesday afternoon.

The tempo traveller, which had arrived from Madurai on a leisure trip to Thekkady, was completely gutted in the incident. The driver and 12 passengers, including eight men and four women, escaped without injuries.

The incident occurred around 1 pm. The driver noticed smoke rising from the front of the vehicle and immediately pulled over. Sensing danger, all the passengers rushed out of the van within seconds, averting a major tragedy. Soon after, the vehicle was engulfed in flames.

A fire force unit from Cumbum in Tamil Nadu rushed to the spot and, after sustained efforts, managed to bring the blaze under control. 

Preliminary findings suggest that a short circuit may have caused the fire. The incident led to a brief traffic disruption in the border area. Gudalur Police reached the scene and initiated further procedures.