Wayanad: A woman was killed and eight, including children were injured when a car plunged into a 60-foot gorge on the second turn on the Wayanad Ghat Road late Wednesday night, according to police.
The car was returning from the Calicut International Airport, Karipur. The woman killed in the accident has been identified as Rasheeda Shihab, 32. Among the injured, Riya, 18 and car driver Shyjal 23, were admitted at Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode with serious injuries. Others sustained minor injuries. While Asya (42) was admitted to the Taluk Hospital in Thamarassery, Shifin (8), Muhammed Shan (14), Aslam (22), Jishad (20) and Muhammed Nishad (19) were admitted to Mist Hills Hospital, Engappuzha, Thamarassery.
According to local residents, the passengers were taken out from the remains of the vehicle using steel cutters. The car was damaged entirely. The rescue operations were delayed due to heavy rains that lashed the ghat road from Wednesday evening and also due to the inaccessibility of the spot, a local resident told Onmanorama. As it was impossible to take the injured up to the road, they were carried down. Locals also alleged that the accident was caused due to the lack of sign boards at the site. The protection walls were demolished for reconstruction.
The body of Rasheeda is kept at the morgue at Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. The body would be released to the relatives by noon after autopsy, Thamarassery police said.
