Ooty : At least 22 passengers and crew escaped unhurt when the front tyres of a Government bus, in which they were travelling stuck in the slush near Katteri Park road, some 20 Kms from here in the early hours of today.

The driver of the Tamil Nadu government bus, coming from Palakkad in Kerala and proceeding to this tourist town was negotiating a tipper lorry coming from opposite direction but went sideways due to poor visibility following heavy fog.

In the melee the front tyres caught in the slush and hit a tree and stopped around 4.30 AM However, no no passengers or crew hurt in the mishap, as there was the possibility of the vehicle turning sideways or topple, police said.

Though a red alert was sounded in Nilgiris District and educational institutions given a holiday, there was some respite from rains since early hours, official sources said.

Meanwhile, some 20 trees were uprooted and fell on the road, nearly at one KM strech at Kothagiri-Kannermukku junction, following which trafficwas disrupted. Trees are being cut, they said

Similarly, anxious moments prevailed at Kothagiri bus stand, as there was a landslip above it, resulting six big trees on the verge of collapse on the stand.

Considering the safety, all the buses are being parked outside and passengers are asked to be alert. The officials of various departments are discussing steps to cut the trees.