Sun Dec 01 19:15:01 UTC 2024: ## Landslide Traps Seven in Tiruvannamalai; Rescue Underway
**Tiruvannamalai, December 2, 2024** – At least seven people are feared trapped after a landslide in Tiruvannamalai on Sunday. Large boulders crashed onto houses on 11th Street in VOC Nagar around 4:30 p.m., prompting residents to alert emergency services.
Three fire fighting teams, the Collector D. Bhaskara Pandian, and SP R. Sudhakar arrived at the scene. Over 500 residents from the area were evacuated to community halls as a precaution, and power was cut to facilitate rescue efforts. Rescue operations, temporarily halted by rain, have resumed with the deployment of earthmovers to clear the debris.
The incident highlights concerns about encroachments on land near the Annamalai Hills, a significant area of forest land. Forest officials stated that monitoring these encroachments, primarily houses, poses a challenge. The hills, rising 2,668 feet above sea level, are home to the annual Maha Deepam ceremony.
First Piper 