Sangeetha Arul Lal, a 35‑year‑old from Jawahar Nagar, Chennai, rode a scooter back from a day trip to Vagamon when a sudden landslide slammed into the road at Velathussery near Teekoy.
Local residents rushed to the wreck, clearing mud and attempting to free the trapped woman before she was declared deceased at a nearby hospital.
The friend, also from Tamil Nadu, escaped with injuries and was taken to a medical facility; police have already informed her family.
Heavy rains earlier in the week triggered several minor landslides across Kottayam’s high‑range areas, damaging houses in Mangalagiri and Peringulam, where one person remains missing.
Search teams are still combing the hills for the missing victim, while the state government has pledged additional resources for rescue operations.