Shivamogga: Three members of a family, including a three-year-old child, were killed after a rain-triggered landslide buried their makeshift shed in Thirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga district, Karnataka, in the early hours of Sunday.
The incident occurred at around 2:30 a.m. in Indira Nagar of Thirthahalli after continuous heavy rainfall lashed the Malnad region, triggering a hill collapse. The landslide sent a large volume of mud and rocks crashing onto the shed where the family was asleep after returning from work.
The deceased have been identified as Mallikarjuna (30), Nagaveni (27), and their three-year-old son Santhosh. The family had come from Kakkaragol village in Gangavathi taluk of Koppal district to work as labourers in the area.
Another labourer, Hanumantha, who was trapped when a large rock pinned his leg, was rescued by Fire and Emergency Services personnel and shifted to Jayachamarajendra Hospital in Thirthahalli, where he is undergoing treatment. Officials said he is receiving appropriate medical care. People staying in a nearby shed also sustained injuries and were admitted to the hospital.
Police, fire and emergency services launched a rescue operation immediately after the incident. They worked for several hours to retrieve the bodies of the three victims buried under the debris.
The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Thirthahalli Police Station. Authorities are assessing the impact of the continuous rainfall in the region and have urged residents in landslide-prone areas to remain alert.
It can be noted that heavy monsoon rains have triggered severe landslides and train cancellations in and around Mangaluru, causing tragic fatalities and major travel disruptions across the Western Ghats.
Following the landslide on the railway track between Yedakumari and Shrivagilu stations on Saturday night, train services have been cancelled between Mangaluru and Yeshwantpur on Sunday.
The relief material train has reached the affected site to support restoration work. Restoration teams have been deployed at the site.
It can also be recalled that three persons, including a woman and two young girls, were killed after a landslide triggered by heavy rain caused their house to collapse at Kankanady Nagori in Mangaluru in the early hours of July 1.
Three others, a man and two girls, were rescued from the debris by local residents and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and shifted to a hospital for treatment.
--IANS
