People gather near the site of a van accident on the winding Valparai-Pollachi road in Coimbatore district on April 17, 2026. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Nine members of a 12-member tour group from Malappuram district v Kerala were killed when their van skidded off a hairpin on the Ghat Road in Valparai in Coimbatore district on Friday (April 17, 2026).
Three of the critically injured were shifted from Pollachi to a hospital in Coimbatore for advanced treatment. The van reportedly fell from hairpin 13 to hairpin 9 between 5.15pm and 5.30pm. The Ghat section on the Valparai-Pollachi road has a total of 40 hairpin turns. Seven women and a 12-year-old boy were among the dead.
Published – 17 Apr 2026 23:01 IST
