A tragic accident occurred on Friday in the Valparai hills of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, where a tourist van from Malappuram district, Kerala lost control and plunged into a gorge, resulting in the deaths of 9 individuals. Among the deceased were one man and seven women. The van was carrying 13 passengers when it crashed into a barrier at the 13th hairpin bend on the Valparai-Pollachi hill road before rolling down the gorge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow on social media, offering condolences to the victims' families and wishing for a swift recovery for the injured. The driver and four others were rescued and taken to the Government Hospital in Pollachi for treatment. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also conveyed his grief over the incident. Rescue operations by police and fire service teams were conducted to retrieve bodies from the gorge and assist the injured.