COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU - A tragic incident unfolded on Friday evening as a van carrying school staff from Malappuram, Kerala, plunged off the Valparai ghat road in Coimbatore district. At least eight individuals perished in the accident, which occurred on the treacherous hairpin bend section.
The vehicle, reportedly carrying around 16 individuals, lost control near the 13th hairpin bend and fell into a gorge, coming to rest near the ninth bend. Preliminary information suggests the group was returning from Pollachi when the crash happened around 4 PM. Among the victims were three children: Hisham (12), Shahadin (11), and Masneen (10).
The remote nature of the crash site, along an isolated stretch of the Pollachi–Valparai road, meant that local residents took some time to notice the wreckage and alert authorities. Rescue operations are underway, with efforts focused on identifying all those involved and recovering those who lost their lives. The van was reportedly descending from Valparai towards Pollachi at the time of the incident.
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Historical Echoes of Valparai's Perilous Roads
This recent tragedy is not an isolated event on the Valparai ghat road. In November 2021, seven passengers died when a bus fell into a gorge on the Valparai-Aliyar ghat section. More recently, in May 2025, nearly 30 people were injured when a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus overturned and plunged into a gorge near Kavarkal Estate. These recurring incidents highlight the inherent dangers of this mountainous terrain.
Beyond Valparai, similar fatal road accidents involving vehicles plunging into gorges or water bodies have occurred elsewhere. In December 2021, four people, including three family members, died when an autorickshaw fell into a depth in Malappuram, Kerala. In February 2026, a mini truck plunged into a quarry in Malappuram, killing a cleaner. Furthermore, similar incidents in other regions, such as a bus crash in Peru in March 2026 resulting in nine fatalities, and a bus accident in Nepal on March 15, 2026, where seven Indian pilgrims died, underscore the global nature of such transport-related tragedies. Even a school van plunged into a pond in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district on December 3, 2009, killing nine children and their teacher. These events, spanning different times and locations, serve as stark reminders of the fragility of life on the road.
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