Idukki: Seventeen people, including several children, were injured after a minivan carrying tourists plunged nearly 30 feet down a slope at a sharp bend on the Mankulam-Anakkulam road here on Monday.

The accident occurred around 3.30 pm, while the group from Palakkad and nearby areas was en route to Anakkulam on a leisure trip. The van reportedly lost control during a steep descent, broke through the roadside safety barrier, and crashed into a gorge.

According to eyewitnesses, the vehicle flipped headlong into the slope. Local residents rushed to the scene and helped move the injured to the hospital.

Among the injured, several sustained minor injuries and were treated at a local clinic in Mankulam before being discharged. Those requiring further care were admitted to Adimali Taluk Hospital. Hospital sources confirmed that none of the injuries are critical.

This stretch of road, particularly the sharp bend where the accident took place, had previously witnessed several mishaps. In response to earlier incidents, authorities had widened the curve and installed crash barriers and warning signs. These measures had temporarily reduced the number of accidents.