Ooty: Following the death of a child in a tourist group after a branch of a tree fell on him on Sunday, the Nilgiri district administration has decided to close down all the tourism destinations of the Nilgiri District. The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, also warned of heavy downpours in the Nilgiri district in the coming two days.

The child, Adidev, son of Kovukkunnu Onthamparambil Praseeth and wife Rekha,  natives of Mokery, was part of a 14-member team from Mokery near Kuttiadi in Kozhikode district, which reached Ooty on Friday.  The incident occurred when the team, which was returning from Ooty, stopped the vehicle at '8th Mile' and was enjoying a walk amid the pine trees when a tree branch came down. Though Adidev, with serious head injuries was rushed to The Nilgiri Medical College, Ooty, he succumbed to his injuries later.

The decision to close all destinations was taken in an emergency meeting of the district administration as heavy rain continued to lash the entire district. Trees falling were reported in various parts of the district. The district also reported as many as 72 incidents of tree falls on Sunday. A communique of the district administration urged all tourists to return to safety to avoid such mishaps.  

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Publicity M P Saminathan visited the Ooty Medical College on Sunday evening and paid tribute to Adidev. Tamil Nadu state legislature chief whip K Ramachandran, Nilgiri District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Thanneeru, and Nilgiri District Superintendent of Police N S Nisha Nissar, among others, also paid tribute to the victim.

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All the tourism destinations, including the Botanical Garden, Boat House, Paikkara Dam, Doddabetta Peak, Rose Garden, and all the shooting spots, were closed down. The highest rain received in Ooty on Sunday was 158 mm within 24 hours. If the situation continues, it is widely believed that the tourism destinations will remain closed for a few more days.

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