Heavy Rains Trigger Seven More Landslips And Injure Three In Nilgiris

UPDATE - follow-up to Copious rain triggers seven new landslips in Nilgiris: Persistent rain over the hill district of The Nilgiris triggered seven new landslips and uprooted 15 trees in the 24 hours ending at 7 a.m. on Monday, October 26, 2026. The district recorded a total rainfall of 734.5 mm and an average of 23.69 mm, with Kinnakorai in Kundah taluk recording 110 mm and Kotagiri seeing 68 mm.

Impact And Casualties

Three people, two men and a woman, suffered injuries in rain mishaps. Three huts were partially damaged. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway train service between Coonoor and Mettupalayam stopped due to landslips, and two passenger train services were canceled for October 27, 28, and 29. A TNSTC driver died when a bus got caught in a landslip at Burliyar on the Mettupalayam-Coonoor ghat road.

Relief And Traffic

District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru announced a holiday for schools in Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri, and Kundah taluks. Four relief camps were set up, sheltering 65 people, including tribals from hamlets near Burliyar and Katteri at St. Antony's Higher Secondary School in Coonoor. Traffic between Nilgiris and Coimbatore was diverted via Kotagiri after a portion of the road washed away near Burliyar.

Context

Monsoon downpours in hilly regions frequently trigger landslips, cutting off vital road and rail links and forcing emergency evacuations. District administrations respond by setting up temporary relief camps and diverting traffic until debris is cleared and slopes are stabilized.