Bus Driver Killed in Nilgiris Mudslide as Weather Systems Bring Heavy Rains Across India

UPDATE - follow-up to Low pressure over Bay of Bengal likely to turn into cyclonic storm | Live: A Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus driver died and the conductor sustained serious injuries when a mudslide and uprooted trees struck their vehicle near Burliar in the Nilgiris district on Saturday. Debris and slush buried the bus following heavy rains that also flooded more than 100 houses at the Sri Lankan Tamils refugee camp in Puliyampatti. District Collector S. Durga Moorthy visited the affected camp to assess the damage after rising water forced families to move children and belongings to safety.

Regional Impact

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department reports that the weather system over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclone and cross the southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh coast by October 28. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to prepare for heavy rainfall and utilize the downpour to fill reservoirs and irrigation tanks. In Odisha, President Droupadi Murmu's scheduled two-day visit starting October 28 was postponed due to safety precautions. Furthermore, the IMD issued red alerts for heavy rainfall in five Kerala districts including Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, and Palakkad, alongside orange and yellow alerts across other districts. In Rajasthan, light to moderate rainfall occurred in isolated areas over a 24-hour period, with Viratnagar recording the highest rainfall of 25 mm.

Context

Severe weather systems in the Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon season frequently impact India's eastern coast with heavy rains and high winds. State disaster management authorities typically issue advance alerts and deploy response teams to vulnerable coastal and hill regions during such periods.