Three of a Family, Including Toddler, Killed in Rain-Triggered Landslide in Karnataka's Shivamogga

Shivamogga: Three members of a family, including a three-year-old boy, lost their lives after a landslide triggered by heavy overnight rainfall buried their makeshift shelter in Karnataka's Shivamogga district in the early hours of Sunday.

The tragedy occurred around 2:30 a.m. in Indira Nagar of Thirthahalli taluk, where continuous monsoon rain caused a nearby hillside to collapse. A massive flow of mud and rocks crashed onto the temporary shed while the family was asleep after returning from work.

The victims were identified as Mallikarjuna (30), Nagaveni (27) and their three-year-old son Santhosh. The family had travelled from Kakkaragol village in Koppal district's Gangavathi taluk to work as labourers in the region.

Another labourer, Hanumantha, was trapped after a large rock pinned his leg beneath the debris. Fire and Emergency Services personnel rescued him and shifted him to Jayachamarajendra Hospital in Thirthahalli, where he is undergoing treatment. Several people staying in a nearby shed also sustained injuries and were admitted to the hospital.

Police, Fire and Emergency Services teams launched an immediate rescue operation, working for several hours to recover the bodies of the three victims from the debris.

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The incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Thirthahalli Police Station. Officials are assessing the impact of the ongoing heavy rainfall and have advised residents living in landslide-prone areas to remain alert and take necessary precautions.

The latest tragedy comes as heavy monsoon rains continue to batter Karnataka's Western Ghats, triggering landslides and disrupting transport services. A landslide between Yedakumari and Shrivagilu railway stations on Saturday night forced the cancellation of train services between Mangaluru and Yeshwantpur on Sunday. Railway authorities have deployed restoration teams, while a relief material train has reached the affected site to support repair work.

The incident also follows another deadly landslide in Mangaluru on July 1, when a rain-triggered hill collapse destroyed a house in Kankanady Nagori, claiming the lives of three people, including a woman and two young girls. Three others were rescued from the rubble by local residents and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

With inputs from IANS