Tourist van gutted in fire in Idukki, passengers escape unhurt
Gudalur police reached the scene and initiated further procedures.
Gudalur police reached the scene and initiated further procedures.
Gudalur police reached the scene and initiated further procedures.
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.