Tipper truck falls into 2,000-foot-deep valley on Charmadi Ghat, injured driver rescued

CHIKKAMAGALUR: A tipper truck driver had a lucky escape after the vehicle plunged into a 2,000 ft valley after hitting the safety barricade near Somanakadu on Charmadi Ghat road on Saturday. The badly injured driver was rescued by some locals.

The tipper was on its way from Mudigere to Charmadi when the driver crashed into the barricade and the truck rolled down into the valley due to dense fog. The driver sustained injuries in the back.

The police, Forest Department staff and social workers Arif and Rehman went down with the help of a rope and rescued the injured driver. A case has been registered in this regard at the Banakal police station.

Social worker Rehman said this was the fourth such accident in recent months.

Rehman said the tipper plunged due to thick fog. “The PWD has put up a safety barricade, but visibility is very poor. This is the fourth vehicle which has fallen at the same spot. Luckily, in all the incidents, there have been no casualties. The tipper driver has been admitted to a hospital in Mangaluru”.