Kalpetta: Heavy rains brought traffic to a standstill along the ghat section of National Highway 766, the Kozhikode–Kollegal road in Wayanad, after a tree was uprooted near the second bend of the Thamarassery Ghat Road on Sunday afternoon.

The entire width of the road was blocked when the massive tree fell, leading to long queues of vehicles on both sides of the affected stretch.

Police personnel, Fire and Rescue Services officials, and volunteers from farmers' organisations have been working to cut and remove the tree. However, complete clearance of the road and the restoration of normal traffic are expected to take more time, the Churam Samrakshana Samithy said in a statement.

According to Muttayi Moidu, convener of the Churam Samrakshana Samithy, traffic had not been restored even by 6 pm as the tree was enormous and its removal was proving difficult.

The ghat section of the interstate highway connecting Kozhikode and Bengaluru had already witnessed severe traffic congestion on Saturday following an accident, he said. Traffic has remained disrupted since Wednesday due to increased vehicle flow during the Eid holidays and the ongoing school vacation.

Meanwhile, efforts are continuing to retrieve an earth-moving machine that fell into the valley earlier this week.