Man killed as shopping complex collapses

Belagavi, Feb 13: One person was killed and two suffered grievous injuries after a shopping complex of the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC), constructed on a drain on Shivaji Road, collapsed early Thursday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Vinayak Shivaji Patkar (45), a resident of Margaon in Goa.

The injured are Balu Ningappa Sambhaji, a resident of Sadashiv Nagar, and Srikant Sadashiv Kamble, a resident of Gadhinglaj in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra.

According to preliminary reports, shops constructed illegally on the first and second floors of the complex, which is not designed to bear the load, led to the collapse.

Compensation

The Belagavi City Corporation has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. It will also foot the hospital bills of the two injured. The shops in the complex, constructed in 1980, were let out for lease.

One of the occupants, Ganesh Halgekar, who own a liquor shop ‘Ramesh Wines’ on the ground floor, constructed a two-floor building illegally and converted it into a hotel ‘Mirchi Cola’ in 2006.

The building could not bear the load and it came down crumbling, killing one of his workers and injuring two.

Belagavi City Corporation Commissioner M R Ravikumar said criminal cases would be filed against Haglekar and the illegal occupants of the building.

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Air India Express brings back Mangaluru–Muscat direct flights from March 2026

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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