A 58-year-old man was swept away by a flash flood while he was crossing a stream near Athiyurmattam in Kotagiri in the Nilgiris district on Saturday (October 23) evening.

Bojan, a resident of the Sedikkal tribal settlement near Karikkiyoor, had visited a relative’s house in the nearby Koppaiyur tribal village to attend a funeral. While returning home, he attempted to cross a stream at Athiyurmattam when he was swept away by a flash flood.

Personnel from the Kotagiri Fire and Rescue Services, along with local residents familiar with the terrain, launched a search operation along the downstream stretch to trace him.