UDHAGAMANDALAM: A truck carrying timber parked on the roadside tumbled down a 100-foot-deep gorge in Kotagiri on Sunday morning.A timber merchant from Ooty had purchased wood from the Kattabettu area to be transported to Ooty. The truck was being driven by Arun.Due to overnight rain, the driver had safely parked the loaded truck on the roadside and taken a break to rest on Saturday night.The following morning, when the driver attempted to move the truck again, the heavy load caused the vehicle’s wheels to sink into the soft mud.Realising he could not drive it out, the driver went to a nearby tea stall to arrange for a crane to tow the vehicle.At that exact moment, unable to bear the heavy weight, the truck toppled over the side of the road, plunging approximately 100 feet down into a nearby tea estate, rolling over multiple times.The logs being carried in the truck also scattered across the plantation. Because the driver had stepped away to get help, he escaped unhurt.Onlookers recorded the scenes of the overloaded truck tumbling down the ravine on their mobile phones and uploaded them to social media, where the video is currently going viral.Police are currently investigating the incident and have strongly advised heavy vehicle and truck drivers to strictly avoid overloading.
