When quiet Kottapuzha turned deadly

A rescue team member looking upstream during a search at Kottapuzha near T.K. Colony, Amarambalam, on Monday. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN For those who knew Kottappuzha as a quiet river of clear water and large granite boulders, Sunday (September 20, 2026) evening brought a frightening reminder of how quickly it can turn dangerous.Only hours earlier, the T.K. Colony stretch near Amarambalam in Nilambur was crowded with visitors. Families and groups from Malappuram and neighbouring areas had arrived for holiday. Some sat on the huge rocks scattered across the riverbed, others bathed in the shallow water, while many relaxed by the river.The scenic spot had begun attracting larger crowds after videos and reels of the area appeared on Instagram and YouTube. Two members of a search team in the Kottapuzha on Monday. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN There was little warning on Sunday evening. Around 5 p.m., the calm water suddenly began rushing downstream, quickly surrounding the rocks where people had been sitting. Visitors on the banks raised the alarm as those in the middle of the river found themselves cut off from the shore.Fear spread as the familiar landscape turned dangerous within seconds.Six people were caught in the flash flood. Five bodies were recovered, and one woman was missing. The bodies bore injuries sustained after being swept against the large granite rocks.Kottappuzha is a tributary of Kuthirapuzha, which joins the Chaliyar at Vadapuram near Nilambur. Rising on the western slopes of the Upper Bhavani Reservoir in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district, it winds through dense woods and rocky terrain before reaching T.K. Colony. With little human activity upstream, the river remains clear and relatively calm for much of the year, drawing visitors to its rocky banks. A search team member wading through gushing waters in the Kottapuzha near T.K. Colony, Amarambalam, on Monday. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN But its calm appearance can be deceptive. Heavy rain in the forest upstream can send a sudden surge of water downstream even when the sky is clear at T.K. Colony.More than two dozen people were stranded in the river on Sunday. Residents, forest staff, and volunteers joined the rescue effort and brought them to safety, helping prevent a greater loss of life.The incident has left residents shaken. They say they have long been aware of the river’s sudden rise after rain upstream and had grown concerned as crowds increased, particularly on holidays.“What we feared happened on Sunday. We have been urging local authorities to regulate access to the area ever since the crowds began growing,” said local resident Mohammed Ali.The social media popularity of T.K. Nagar has brought visitors from across Malappuram and neighbouring areas, drawn by the clear water, granite rocks, and wooded surroundings. But the same landscape that makes the place attractive also makes the danger difficult to read.On a dry day, Kottappuzha can appear almost harmless. Yet rain in the forest upstream can turn the quiet river into a powerful torrent before visitors downstream know what is happening.On Sunday, that change came suddenly, turning a popular holiday spot into the scene of a tragedy. Published - September 21, 2026 09:30 pm IST