UDHAGAMANDALAM: A bus driver was killed and the conductor seriously injured after a mudslide and uprooted trees fell on a TNSTC bus near Burliar in the Nilgiris district on Saturday, police said.
The incident occurred in the early hours when the bus was travelling from Coonoor to Mettupalayam amid heavy rain.
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus was driven by Janagaraj, a resident of Kooratty village near Ooty, while Kesavan was the conductor, police said.
The bus had three passengers, who got off at Kurumpadi shortly before it reached Burliar. Only the driver and conductor were on board when the mudslide struck, police said.
Mud and uprooted trees fell on the bus, burying it under debris and slush.
Fire and rescue personnel from Coonoor and Mettupalayam, along with local police, rushed to the spot and rescued the trapped crew.
“When we reached the Marapalam area, the driver was completely trapped in his seat beneath the heavy debris. We searched the entire bus and initially found no other passengers, which was a huge relief, though tragic for the crew,” a fire officer said.
Both men were pulled from the debris and rushed to the Mettupalayam Government Hospital. Janagaraj later succumbed to his injuries, while Kesavan was undergoing intensive treatment for severe injuries.
Continuous rain has triggered several landslides, disrupting road connectivity across the hill district.
Mudslides blocked the Ooty-Mettupalayam and Ooty-Coonoor highways, disrupting traffic to the hill district. Vehicles queued up from Mettupalayam to Karamadai, while bus passengers were stranded for hours.
In Theetukkal area of Udhagamandalam, a retaining wall at a hotel collapsed, destroying two cars and six two-wheelers. A night watchman trapped in the mud was rescued by fire and rescue personnel.
The Forest Department temporarily closed access to Catherine Falls and Kodanad Viewpoint as a precaution.
Burliar recorded 25 cm of rainfall, while Edapally received 20 cm, according to meteorological data.
More than 20 pieces of heavy machinery, including JCBs, were deployed by the Highways, Fire and Rescue Services and Revenue departments to clear debris and restore traffic. Rescue and clearance operations were continuing in the affected areas.
Nilgiris District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Taneeru declared a holiday for schools in Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Kundah, Gudalur and Pandalur taluks on Saturday in view of the heavy rainfall.