Mudslides and fallen trees stranded two groups of 149 school students from Pala, Kerala, overnight on the Ooty-Mettupalayam route after heavy rain, prompting police and local authorities to arrange their safe movement the following morning.
The students were travelling back from educational trips to Mysuru and Ooty when the weather deteriorated. One group comprised 44 high school students from St Antony’s HSS, Pala, accompanied by five teachers and the bus crew. The second group included around 105 Class XII students from St Thomas HSS and eight teachers.
The St Antony’s group began its journey at about 9.30pm, intending to spend the night at Mettupalayam before continuing to Kerala the next morning. According to Father Josy Erathedath, one of the accompanying teachers, a rock fell onto the road as the bus approached and had to be cleared before the vehicle could proceed.
A tree then fell across the route, forcing the bus to stop again. Continued rainfall triggered mudslides, leaving the bus unable to move and requiring the students, teachers and crew to remain inside until morning. The teachers kept the seriousness of the situation from the children to prevent panic, and the students spent the night talking and playing inside the vehicle.
Erathedath said mud also fell on a Tamil Nadu transport bus travelling ahead of them, trapping several passengers. He contacted the Mettupalayam police station and Tamil Nadu minister V Sampath Kumar for assistance. Police reached the stranded passengers in the morning and provided the students with tea and snacks.
The second Pala group was caught in the same weather conditions and also had to remain in its bus overnight. Father Regi Thengumpallil, who was accompanying the students, later thanked the police and authorities for ensuring their safety.
Several parked vehicles in the area were reportedly affected by mudslides that night, but neither of the school buses carrying the Pala students was damaged. The immediate danger came from the blocked road, fallen trees and unstable slopes, which prevented the buses from continuing their journeys.
By Saturday morning, authorities moved the students from both schools to Sachidanandan Jyothi Niketan School on the way to Mettupalayam. Because mudslides and fallen trees continued to block the road, the students had to leave their buses and walk a distance before boarding vehicles arranged by the authorities. The school provided breakfast to the groups.
Sachidanandan Jyothi Niketan School arranged a bus to take the St Antony’s students back to Pala. The St Thomas HSS group continued its return journey in a bus arranged by minister Sampath Kumar. The authorities’ response focused on moving the students away from the blocked section and securing onward transport after the route became passable for organised evacuation.
