Torrential rains in the Western Ghats on Friday afternoon caused a flash flood at the scenic Old Courtallam waterfalls in Tamil Nadu’s Tenkasi district. The sudden surge of water caught tourists by surprise, including a group of relatives who had gone for a swim.
Tragically, a 17-year-old boy named Ashwin, a class 11 student from NGO Colony in Palayamkottai, was swept away by the floodwaters. As the water level rose rapidly, tourists scrambled to safety, screaming for help. Police personnel and shopkeepers at the tourist site rushed to assist the stranded individuals.
However, despite their efforts, the flash flood was so intense that the path leading from the waterfalls to the car park was quickly submerged. It was only after the tourists managed to reach safety that they realized Ashwin was missing.
A search and rescue operation was immediately launched by the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Department, and Ashwin’s body was eventually found trapped between rocks about 500 meters from the waterfall. The incident has cast a pall over the popular tourist destination, and the local administration has temporarily prohibited the public from entering the waterfalls.
The heavy rainfall in the region has been attributed to a weather system over the Gulf of Mannar and Kanniyakumari, which has caused water levels to rise significantly in the Main Falls, the Five Falls, and the Old Courtallam Falls at Courtallam. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted continued heavy rainfall for the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka in the coming days.
