Rescue work still on, five bodies recovered from landslide spot near Munnar

KOCHI: Rescue work is still on at Chiyyapara on Adimaly—Munnar route where five people were killed in a landslide which occurred on Monday morning. The rescue teams have spotted three vehicles which fell into a gorge on the other side of the road. "The heavy downpour has hampered the rescue work. We could not reach the vehicles lying in the gorge," said an officer of the fire and rescue team.
A team of Indian Navy personnel from the Southern Naval Command has already left to Chiyyapara to provide assistance to the rescue team.The identity of the deceased were yet to be ascertained, police officials said and added that while the two victims were killed on the spot, the other three died at the hospital. "We are still looking for any survivors," the officials added. It will take another two to three hours to clear the debris on the road.
It was around 9.30am that a large portion of the mountain caved in on the Adimaly—Munnar road. Preliminary reports said that four to five vehicles carrying around 15 persons including two foreign tourists were trapped in the debris.