Heavy rain lashed the Coonoor region in the Nilgiris district around midnight on October 23, triggering multiple landslides on the Coonoor–Mettupalayam ghat road and the Kotagiri ghat road. Officials recorded about 25 cm of rain in Barliyar and 20 cm in Lower Kotagiri within a day.
A Tamil Nadu government bus that left the Ooty bus stand for Mettupalayam at around 10.30 pm had only seven passengers on board, along with driver Janakaraj (47) from the Thooratti area of Coonoor and conductor Kesavan. Around 12.30 am near Pudukkadu, the bus suffered a rear-tyre puncture.
With passenger safety in mind, the conductor arranged for all seven passengers to travel onward in another government bus. The punctured bus was then taken to the Coonoor depot for repairs and, after the tyre was fixed, resumed its journey towards Mettupalayam.
At about 2.00 am, as the bus neared Barliyar amid intense rain, a sudden landslide sent mud, rocks and trees crashing onto the vehicle. With fresh slips occurring above and below the spot, the stretch was cut off, delaying information from reaching the outside.
Based on alerts from motorists below the affected area, teams from the police, National Highways, revenue and fire services moved in around 3.30 am with earthmovers and cutting tools, clearing multiple slide points en route. By about 6.15 am, rescuers found the bus crushed between debris; Kesavan was pulled out injured from the rear, while Janakaraj was found dead in the front section. Officials said the earlier transfer of passengers prevented further loss of life. Kesavan later said they had tried to reverse after spotting a fallen tree near an iron bridge and were attempting to stop at the roadside when the slope gave way with a loud roar, burying the bus.
