A landslide buried a government bus in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu on Saturday, 24 October 2026, killing driver Janagaraj and injuring conductor Kesavan, while about 50 passengers escaped unhurt after a tyre puncture forced them off the bus minutes earlier. The Nilgiris landslide happened near Parliyar on the Coimbatore-Ooty route, according to Nation Press and PTI reports.
Initial reports had suggested the driver had been rescued safely, but rescue teams later clarified he had remained trapped inside the vehicle and had died, officials said. His body was recovered after a prolonged rescue operation beneath the landslide debris.
Tyre puncture saved passengers
The passengers survived because a tyre puncture forced them off the bus shortly before the landslide struck, officials said. Within minutes of their departure, the hillside collapsed, burying the vehicle, according to Nation Press.
Conductor Kesavan, who was rescued with injuries, said only he and the driver remained on the bus when the landslide hit. He described trees falling across the road one after another as they tried to bring the vehicle to a safe stop before being caught in the collapse.
PTI also reported mud and uprooted trees falling on a bus, killing the driver, with passengers rescued in rain-hit Nilgiris, and a watchman trapped in mud rescued by fire and rescue personnel in the same district on Saturday.
Rain damage across the district
Cars and two-wheelers were damaged as a wall collapsed in the Nilgiris, according to PTI reports on Saturday. The district has seen recurring landslide incidents on its steep hill roads, particularly during and after the monsoon season, raising questions about route safety.
Officials said rescue teams worked through mud and debris to reach the bus, while traffic on the hill route was disrupted. The Nilgiris district has faced heavy rain in recent days, with landslides a persistent risk on steep slopes.
Authorities urged drivers and passengers on hill routes to heed weather warnings and avoid travel during intense rain, officials said. Further safety checks on vulnerable slopes were expected after Saturday’s fatal incident.
District officials said engineers would inspect the collapsed hillside and other vulnerable slopes along the Coimbatore-Ooty route, and they urged transport operators to suspend services during heavy rain warnings, while families of the victims were offered support by the state transport department.
