11 Sabari pilgrims die as bus falls into gorge

KOTTAYAM: Eleven pilgrims travelling to the Sabarimala hill shrine were killed and 40 others injured, 20 of them seriously, when their bus fell into a gorge near Erumeli town in Kottayam district in the wee hours today.

The bus, carrying 60 pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district, slipped into a 50-foot gorge while it was passing the narrow Pampa Valley road.

As soon as news of the mishap spread, locals rushed to the spot and took the injured persons to the Medical College Hospital in Kottayam and Taluk Hospital in Kanjirapally.

Kerala Government has announced a solatium to the kins of the pilgrims.

The Sabarimala shrine is located in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.