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A 31-year-old man from Tiruppur, who suffered injuries after falling from a steep portion of the Vellingiri hills near Coimbatore on April 19, died on Monday, April 22. With this, the total number of persons who have died while trekking the hills this pilgrimage season, rose to eight.
The deceased has been identified as B. Veerakumar, who hailed from S.V. Colony in Tiruppur. The police said that Veerakumar trekked the Vellingiri hills along with his friends on April 18. The group embarked on the trek in the afternoon, and stayed at the hilltop. Veerakumar fell from a steep portion while descending the seventh hill on morning of April 19.
As per a complaint lodged by Veerakumar’s mother B. Jothimani at the Alandurai police station, her son’s friend Jagadeesh informed her about the fall around 7 a.m. on April 19.
The summit at the seventh hill, where Lord Shiva is worshipped in self-manifested form or Suyambu, is situated at a height of 1,850 metres (MSL), surrounded by steep rocky areas.
The victim was rescued and brought downhill on a dolly (bamboo stretcher) by 5.45 p.m. and was taken to the primary health centre at Pooluvapatti. He was later transferred to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for treatment.
However, the young man died without responding to treatment around 3.15 p.m. on Monday. Ms. Jothimani lodged a complaint with the Alandurai police late on Monday, stating that there was no suspicion in her son’s death.
The Forest Department has issued an advisory for pilgrims who are trekking the Vellingiri hills on the occasion of Chithra Pournami: pilgrims are allowed to trek through the designated trekking routes and not use other paths.The Department has also appealed to the pilgrims to be cautious while trekking the hills. It has appealed to the pilgrims to trek the hills in groups and not as single individuals.
