Nilgiris, Oct 24 (IANS) Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed to Ooty after relentless rain triggered landslides across the Nilgiris, killing a government bus driver, injuring its conductor and disrupting road and rail services.
Authorities have closed all tourist attractions following a red alert for the district. District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru urged tourists to postpone visits for three days and advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel as fallen trees and landslides blocked several stretches of the hill roads.
Teams from the NDRF’s Fourth Battalion were dispatched following a request from the Tamil Nadu disaster management authorities to support precautionary measures and rescue operations in the rain-battered district.
Parliyar recorded 25 cm of rainfall as widespread downpours lashed the Nilgiris overnight. Landslides struck three locations along the Ooty–Mettupalayam road, leaving a government bus trapped beneath debris on the mountain route. The driver died after being caught under the debris. The conductor, who sustained serious injuries, was rescued and admitted to hospital.
He subsequently recounted the circumstances in which the vehicle became trapped during the landslide. Several trees were uprooted around Parliyar, compounding the disruption along the hill road.
The rain and landslides also affected Nilgiri Mountain Railway services, further restricting transport access to the hill station. Crews using earthmoving machinery intensified efforts to remove accumulated soil, rocks and fallen trees from the affected stretches.
The Collector inspected the landslide-hit Coonoor–Mettupalayam route to assess the damage and review clearance operations. In Ooty’s Theettukal locality, a retaining wall collapsed, damaging two cars and six two-wheelers.
CCTV footage showed a security guard narrowly escaping as the structure gave way during the heavy rain. Elsewhere, a massive tree fell across the Kotagiri–Konavakkarai road, blocking traffic.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel worked to cut the tree and clear the carriageway so that vehicles could pass. Heavy rain in the Kotagiri region also caused flooding in the Kottakambai River. A landslide along its banks left a nearby house at risk of collapse, adding to concerns over vulnerable residential areas.
With rain continuing and access roads affected, the Collector ordered all tourist destinations in the district to remain closed until further notice.
The administration’s appeal to defer travel comes amid continuing clearance work and the risk of further disruption on rain-soaked mountain routes across the Nilgiris district.
–IANS
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