Locals rescue tourists trapped by flash floods at famous falls in southern India
by ShravyaLocals rescue the tourists who panicked after seeing flash floods at Old Courtallam Falls southern India’s Tamil Nadu.
The incident took place at Old Courtallam Falls in Tenkasi district on May 17.
Visuals showed panic erupting among the people bathing near the waterfall as the water flow suddenly became very strong. Locals were seen rescuing the tourists’ safety.
According to the reports, a 16-year-old boy, K Ashwin was tragically swept away by flash floods.
Ashwin who had recently passed his SSLC examination, was visiting relatives in Melagaram. He and his relatives decided to enjoy an afternoon bath at the waterfalls, which appeared calm earlier in the day. However, the situation quickly turned dangerous as a deluge of water, caused by recent heavy rains, swept through the area.
Tourists fled the site in panic, but Aswin was trapped by the torrent and swept away. His relatives alerted the authorities, and a rescue operation led by fire and rescue services personnel, including District Officer Banu Priya, was launched. Collector A K Kamal Kishore and SP T P Suresh Kumar also arrived at the scene. Aswin’s body was recovered half a kilometer downstream from the waterfalls and sent to the Government District Headquarters Hospital for postmortem.
Collector Kishore noted that warnings about potential flooding had been issued and police were deployed at the site. “Unexpectedly, the boy has been swept away. We have sent his body for postmortem. We are in the process of setting an early warning system in the falls to prevent such incidents. Bathing in the waterfalls will be banned until further orders,” he said.
In addition to Old Courtallam, the Courtallam Main Falls and Five Falls also experienced flooding. The Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve administration has subsequently banned tourists from visiting Manimuthar waterfalls and Manjolai hills in Tirunelveli as a precaution.