MANGALURU: Torrential rainfall measuring nearly 300mm battered Dakshina Kannada district late Thursday and into Friday, claiming four lives — including three children — and leaving two fishermen missing.
In the most tragic incident, a landslide struck Pambada Hittilu Kodi Koppala in Montepadavu, Manjanady village, late Thursday night, burying a family of five under debris. The landslide killed 58-year-old Prema Poojary and her young grandsons, 2.5-year-old Aryan and one-year-old Arush.
Rescue teams comprising multiple departments managed to save Prema’s husband, Kanthappa Poojary, and their daughter-in-law, Ashwini. Prema and Aryan’s bodies were retrieved after several hours, while Arush, though initially rescued alive, succumbed to injuries en route to the hospital.
The family was asleep when a nearby hillock and a tree collapsed onto their home, flattening the structure. Prema’s son, Seetharama, managed to escape and alerted neighbors, who launched an initial rescue effort before emergency services arrived.
In a separate incident, a retaining wall and part of a hill collapsed on a house in Belma village’s Kanakare area, resulting in the death of 10-year-old Fathima Naeema, daughter of the homeowner, Naushad.
Meanwhile, two fishermen — Yashavanth Karkera (52) and Kamalaksha Salian (47) — are feared drowned after their boat capsized at Thota Bengre, near the confluence of the Gurupura and Nethravati rivers.
Widespread Disruption and Damage
As a precaution, authorities declared a holiday for anganwadis, primary, and high schools in Mangaluru, Bantwal, and Ullal taluks.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Ullal taluk received the heaviest rainfall in a 24-hour period starting at 8:30 am Thursday: Kotekar recorded 313mm, Talapady 288mm, and Kinya 282mm.
Low-lying and hilly areas, as well as parts of Mangaluru city, were heavily impacted. Floodwaters entered homes, schools, and shops, causing significant property damage. In Uchila, locals used boats to rescue residents stranded by rising water levels.
In Mangaluru, a large tree fell in the Bejai area, disrupting traffic for several hours before it was cleared.
