TNSTC driver killed as bus caught in landslip at Burliyar on Mettupalayam-Coonoor ghat road

A TNSTC bus driver was killed when the vehicle he was driving came in the path of a landslide at Burliyar, near the Coimbatore-Nilgiris district border, on the intervening night of Friday (October 23, 2026) and Saturday (October 24). There were no other passengers in the bus; the conductor, who sustained injuries, has been admitted to a hospital.

According to the rainfall report issued by the Nilgiris district administration, Burliyar recorded 250 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 7 a.m. on Saturday, which was categorised as extremely heavy rainfall.

More than 300 people were stranded along the ghat section following multiple landslips.

The deceased driver was identified as Janagaraj, 55, of Katteri in the Nilgiris district. He was driving the bus from Coonoor to Coimbatore when the incident occurred. The conductor was rescued and admitted to the Mettupalayam Government Hospital.

A mini goods carrier also fell into a gorge. Its driver managed to climb out of the vehicle and reach safety.

Many stranded

More than 300 people, including schoolchildren from Kerala who were on a tour of Udhagamandalam, were stranded along the ghat section following the landslips. Rescue teams worked through Saturday to bring them down to Mettupalayam, at the foothills of the Nilgiris.

Sheeba, a tourist from Kottayam district in Kerala who was travelling behind the TNSTC bus, said the incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Friday. Two landslips had occurred within a stretch of about 1 km, she claimed. She was brought down to Mettupalayam around noon on Saturday.

The stranded passengers, including schoolchildren, were accommodated in community halls in Mettupalayam, where the Coimbatore district administration provided them with food.

Speaking to The Hindu, Coimbatore Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar said more than 300 people had been brought down from the affected stretch. Rescue operations began around 5 a.m., but reaching the spot was difficult as it was 7 km to 10 km from the foothills, and traffic congestion further hampered the movement of rescue teams.

Six teams of the Fire and Rescue Services from Coimbatore, teams of the Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force (TNDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), disaster response personnel stationed in Udhagamandalam, and ambulance staff were mobilised for the operation, he said.

Ghat section closed

Backward Classes Welfare Minister V. Sampath Kumar, who inspected the affected stretch along with Animal Husbandry Minister S. Kamali, said the health condition of the conductor, who was admitted to the Mettupalayam Government Hospital, was being monitored. Alternative transport would be arranged to help people stranded along the ghat section reach Mettupalayam, he said. The ghat section would remain closed until further notice.

Intermittent spells of rain during the rescue operation hampered the movement of rescue personnel along the ghat road. Several landslips were reported on the uphill stretch, with rocks, mud and uprooted trees falling onto the road. The TNSTC bus was severely damaged after being hit by rocks, mud, and a tree. However, no other vehicles were reported to have been caught in the landslips, and no other casualties were reported.

Travel advisory

The Nilgiris district administration on Saturday advised the public and tourists to avoid the Mettupalayam-Udhagamandalam ghat roads via Coonoor and Kotagiri following the heavy rainfall and landslips.

In a public safety advisory issued on October 24, the administration warned of the risk of further landslips, falling trees, rockfalls, and sudden flooding. It urged people to follow instructions issued by the district administration and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Vehicle movement on the ghat roads, including public transport services, was suspended from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the next three days, with exemptions for essential and emergency vehicles, the advisory said. The public was also advised to avoid visiting tourist destinations unless necessary and to stay away from flooded roads, overflowing streams, low-lying areas, electric poles and wires during rainfall.