Retired Air Force officer dies when boulder falls on moving car on Ooty Road

A car hit by a boulder on mettupalayam-udhagamandalam road near burliar in coimbatore district on October 7, 2026 | Photo credit: Special arrangement

A retired Air Force officer died on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) after a boulder that slid down a slope fell on a moving car on the Mettupalayam-Udhagamandalam Road ghat section in Coimbatore district.

Police said B. Krishnamoorthi (64), a retired Air Force officer and a resident of Jagathala in Udhagamandalam, died in the accident.

According to the police, the accident took place around 9.20 am when he was driving from Udhagamandalam towards Coimbatore in a sedan with his son Karthi behind the wheel. His wife and two other relatives were also in the car.

When the vehicle was traveling about 500 meters downhill from the Burliar checkpost in Coimbatore district, a boulder fell on the car and it slid down the slope. Krishnamoorthi sustained serious injuries in the accident and was taken to the Government Hospital, Mettupalayam. An on-duty doctor examined him and pronounced him dead on arrival, police said.

The police officer said that the deceased’s wife suffered a fracture in one of her hands. One of the relatives suffered a head injury. They were admitted to a private hospital in Coimbatore for treatment. Mettupalayam police are further investigating the accident.

Published – 07 Oct 2026 16:24 IST