TNSTC driver killed as bus caught in landslip at Burliyar on Mettupalayam-Coonoor ghat road
More than 300 people were stranded along the ghat section following multiple landslips
A TNSTC bus driver named Janagaraj, 55, lost his life when the vehicle he was operating was caught in a landslide at Burliyar, situated on the Coimbatore-Nilgiris district border. This incident occurred on the night between October 23 and 24, 2026. The conductor of the bus sustained injuries and has been admitted to the Mettupalayam Government Hospital.
According to the Nilgiris district administration, the area received 250 mm of extremely heavy rainfall over the preceding 24 hours, which culminated in multiple landslips along the ghat section. More than 300 people, including schoolchildren from Kerala on a tour of Udhagamandalam, were stranded as a result of the disaster. Rescue teams worked tirelessly through the night to bring these stranded individuals to safety at Mettupalayam, the base of the Nilgiris.
The tourism hub of Udhagamandalam, or Ooty, was significantly disrupted by this natural calamity, with many families, including tourists, left without accommodation or transportation. The ghat road was closed indefinitely following the landslide, and the district administration advised the public to avoid traveling through this route due to the risk of further landslides, falling debris, and sudden flooding.
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