A 10-year-old girl narrowly escaped after she accidentally fell from a bridge without handrails connecting Elappara-Ayyappan Kovil panchayats to the Periyar River in Idukki on Saturday.
Alakananda, a resident of Vallakkadavu near Elappara, was crossing the bridge along with her mother. The girl accidentally fell into the river but as she knew swimming, swam to safety.
The girl was shifted to Upputhara Primary Health Centre and provided primary treatment.
Thampi John, the girl’s grandfather, said the handrail of the bridge was damaged in the 2018 floods but the authorities had not reconstructed it.
Hundreds of vehicles and school children use the narrow bridge. Six months before, a two-wheeler rider fell into the river but managed to swim to safety, said Mr. .John.
Alakananda is a Class V student at the Vimaljyothi public school in Mlamala.
