24-year-old female tourist dies after tent collapses in Wayanad resort

Wayanad, May 15
A 24-year-old woman tourist died when a tent she was staying in at a resort near Wayanad collapsed.

The deceased was identified as Nishma.

A group of 16 from the neighbouring Malappuram district at Nilambur arrived at the resort at 900 Kandi in Meppadi on Wednesday evening.

The resort, which is accessible only on four-wheelers, is located close to the forests.

The resort houses temporary structures built using traditional materials like wood and has a roof made up of leaves.

With heavy rain hitting the hilltop resort on Wednesday night, one of the tents collapsed, killing Nishma and injuring two others.

On Thursday morning, the local revenue authorities and police began a probe to ascertain whether the resort had all the required sanctions from the local body.

With Wayanad having a cool climate and vacation coming to a close, there is a big rush to this popular tourist destination.

Meanwhile, the resort authorities have said they have all the prescribed licenses, and the tragedy took place on account of the heavy rain that hit the place on Wednesday night.

The investigation was underway.

Wayanad, which has borders with both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, witnesses a huge influx of tourists, and tourism is big business in the district.

Numerous resorts of varying sizes have now mushroomed in the district, besides a huge number of homestays.

The weekends see the biggest rush, and when tourists find it difficult to get suitable accommodation, the locals convert their spaces to accommodate those willing to have a new experience.

Notably, in 2024, Wayanad recorded a series of landslides claiming hundreds of lives. The landslides were triggered by heavy rain.

The natural calamity left scores of people injured and missing.