Tourists denied entry, toy train stopped, night travel ban; More updates from Ooty

GUDALUR: With rains showing no signs of slowing down and a few reported incidents of landslides, the authorities decided to ban night travel on the Ooty-Mettupalayam and Ooty-Kotagiri routes. The ban will be in effect from 6 pm to 6 am, while emergency travel will be exempted. The collector issued an order to close all wine shops and beverage outlets in the hill station by 6 pm. All tourist spots in Ooty have been closed, while the famous toy train has suspended operations considering the inclement weather.

Meanwhile, renovation work is ongoing on roads affected by the landslides. However, heavy rainfall in the Manjoor area impeded the work. Tourists, including Malayalees, continue to flock to the hill station despite plea from the administration not to visit Ooty for the time being. Many tourists were sent back by authorities. The Towering trees alongside the roads connecting Ooty also pose a threat of falling down in the rains.

The tourist ban on Ooty continues until the weather returns to normalcy.