“Ghat Road Horror!” 9 Kerala Tourists, Including Teachers, Killed as Van Plunges into Gorge

Coimbatore: In a tragic road accident on April 17, 2026, nine tourists from Kerala, including six school staff members, lost their lives after their van veered off the Valparai–Pollachi Ghat Road and plunged into a deep gorge on Friday evening.

The accident occurred around 5:15 pm at the 13th hairpin bend under Kadamparai police station limits. The victims were part of a 13-member tourist group from Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district, returning from a sightseeing trip to Valparai.

According to preliminary reports, the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp curve. The van skidded off the road and rolled down several hundred feet through dense terrain before coming to rest near the ninth hairpin bend.

Nine passengers died on the spot. The deceased have been identified as Ajitha (54), Ramla (52), Suhara (43), Asha (41), Majeeth (43), Sajitha (45), Shakeela (37), Ruqiya (39), and Hisham (12).

Among them, Ajitha was the headteacher of Government LP School, Palliparambu, while Ramla, Suhara, Asha, and Majeeth were also teachers at the same school. Shakeela was a teacher at Government Upper Primary School, Pang. Sajitha worked as school support staff, while Ruqiya was Majeeth’s wife and Hisham was Suhara’s son.

Four others, including the driver, sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospital.

Police and fire and rescue teams reached the spot soon after receiving information and launched a challenging rescue operation due to the steep terrain. All survivors were safely evacuated from the mangled vehicle.

The bodies have been sent for postmortem, and a case has been registered by Kadamparai police. An investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.

Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar visited the site and reviewed the rescue efforts.

The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the victims’ hometown in Kerala.

#Kerala #Coimbatore #RoadAccident #Valparai #BreakingNews