Students and teachers from several schools in Kerala endured nearly 10 hours of uncertainty after their vehicles were stranded near Coonoor and Burliar in Tamil Nadu while returning from excursions to Ooty. The traffic congestion, which initially appeared to be an ordinary roadblock, was later found to be linked to a mudslide that claimed the life of a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus driver and left its conductor injured.
Among those stranded were seven staff members and 78 students of Buchanan Girls High School, Pallom, Chingavanam, whose two buses were returning from an excursion. According to headmistress Beena Mary, the buses remained stationary from 11 pm on Friday until 9 am on Saturday, with a gorge on one side of the road and a hill on the other. The group initially expected the traffic to clear, but daylight revealed that several vehicles were trapped between sections affected by the mudslide.
Poor mobile network connectivity made communication with parents difficult, although the school staff coordinated updates through a group whenever possible. Nearby toilets provided some relief during the prolonged wait.
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Around 9 am on Saturday, officials, including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, reached the stranded group and explained the situation. Police, fire and rescue services, and disaster response teams carried out evacuation operations. According to fire force personnel, the congestion began after a bus broke down and became trapped in the mudslide-affected stretch, triggering a traffic pile-up. More than 100 students travelling on school excursions from Kerala had been stranded, with their vehicles stopping barely 300 metres from the disaster zone.
Coimbatore Collectorate PRO A Senthil told Onmanorama that all stranded students were evacuated by noon and taken to Mettupalayam, where they received food and water. Some students panicked and fainted during the ordeal, prompting authorities to arrange ambulances. Passengers had to cross mud-covered sections on foot to reach safety, while the school buses were retrieved later as rescue operations progressed.
The Buchanan Girls High School group eventually returned safely to Kottayam. All students have since reached their homes, and no students or staff members sustained injuries, although several were shaken by the experience. Students from Pala St Thomas School and St Antony’s Higher Secondary School, Mutholi, were also caught in the congestion and evacuated safely.
