During their ascent of Velliangiri Hills, three climbers from Hyderabad, Salem, and Theni passed away due to health complications in the last two days, leaving devotees and the public in sorrow.
Coimbatore: The Velliangiri Hills, located in Poondi, Coimbatore, draw lakhs of devotees annually, including those from neighboring states. Referred to as the South's Kailash, the pilgrimage attracts thousands who partake in the challenging ascent.
Particularly from January to May, the forest department opens the hill for public access, welcoming thousands of Shiva devotees from different districts. They begin their journey at the temple's foothill, aiming to reach and worship the Shivalinga on the seventh hill.
This year, the influx of devotees remains high, but the journey has been marred by tragedy. Last week, two climbers lost their lives to respiratory issues during their ascent.
Compounding the grief, in separate incidents yesterday (March 24) and early this morning, three more climbers lost their lives. These incidents have deeply saddened both both the public and the devotees at large.
Yesterday, Subbarao (68) from Hyderabad faced a sudden health decline on the fourth hill, leading to his death.
In a similar vain, Thyagarajan (35) from Salem encountered fatal health issues on the first hill path.
With the assistance from locals, the forest officials retrieved the bodies, and bought them back to the base.
Today (March 25), in the early hours around 4 AM, Pandiyan (46) from Theni was found deceased near Vazhukuparai, a spot in the second hill. Upon information. forest officials confirmed his death and retrieved his body from the hills to the base.
A case has been registered at the Alandurai police station, before the body was sent for autopsy.
These recent tragedies underline the critical need for climbers to undergo thorough health screenings, including heart, lung function, blood pressure, and blood sugar level tests, and to seek medical advice before embarking on the ascent, as the number of fatalities during the Velliangiri Hills climb has been on the rise, annually.
Particularly from January to May, the forest department opens the hill for public access, welcoming thousands of Shiva devotees from different districts. They begin their journey at the temple's foothill, aiming to reach and worship the Shivalinga on the seventh hill.
This year, the influx of devotees remains high, but the journey has been marred by tragedy. Last week, two climbers lost their lives to respiratory issues during their ascent.
Compounding the grief, in separate incidents yesterday (March 24) and early this morning, three more climbers lost their lives. These incidents have deeply saddened both both the public and the devotees at large.
Yesterday, Subbarao (68) from Hyderabad faced a sudden health decline on the fourth hill, leading to his death.
In a similar vain, Thyagarajan (35) from Salem encountered fatal health issues on the first hill path.
With the assistance from locals, the forest officials retrieved the bodies, and bought them back to the base.
Today (March 25), in the early hours around 4 AM, Pandiyan (46) from Theni was found deceased near Vazhukuparai, a spot in the second hill. Upon information. forest officials confirmed his death and retrieved his body from the hills to the base.
A case has been registered at the Alandurai police station, before the body was sent for autopsy.
These recent tragedies underline the critical need for climbers to undergo thorough health screenings, including heart, lung function, blood pressure, and blood sugar level tests, and to seek medical advice before embarking on the ascent, as the number of fatalities during the Velliangiri Hills climb has been on the rise, annually.