Idukki: A landslip triggered by heavy rain sent soil and rocks crashing onto the National Highway near the Head Works Dam in Munnar early on Wednesday, briefly disrupting traffic.

The incident occurred at around 6 am. Authorities quickly cleared the debris and restored vehicular movement, though work to remove the remaining soil and rocks is still underway.

The region witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, and residents said landslips have become a recurring problem during the monsoon. They alleged that unscientific soil excavation has made the area vulnerable to such incidents and claimed that repeated complaints had failed to prompt corrective action from the National Highways Authority.

A major accident was averted as no vehicles were passing through the affected stretch when the landslip occurred. However, several large boulders remain precariously perched on the hillside, posing a continuing risk to commuters.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has temporarily suspended tourist entry to Singappara in the Kolukkumalai region owing to heavy rain and the heightened risk of landslips.