13 injured as newly-opened ropeway breaks in Kerala's Idukki

Vagamon (Kerala), Feb 23 (IANS) At least 13 tourists were injured as a newly-inaugurated ropeway bridge, part of an adventure tourism project in Kerala's Idukki district, broke on Saturday due to overloading, police said.A police official from the Vagamon police station told IANS that the accident occurred as a team of about 25 people from a Catholic church at Angamaly in Ernakulam district were using the bridge."The ropeway bridge connecting two small hills is about 50 metres long and at a height of about 20 metres. It broke after several of the members got on it. 13 people have been injured. They were taken to a nearby hospital and from what we have been told, the injuries suffered are not of serious nature," said the official who did not wish to be identified.Vagamon, located in Peerumade taluka of Idukki, is situated about 3,900 feet above sea level and is an upcoming hill station. It was only early this month that Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons opened this new ropeway.
--IANS sg/vd