Mangaluru, May 30: Relentless monsoon rains battering Mangaluru and surrounding areas over the past week have triggered a series of tragic landslides and widespread flooding, leaving a trail of destruction, loss, and despair. At least four people, including three children, have lost their lives in separate rain-related incidents. Several others are critically injured. Authorities and rescue teams are racing against time amid ongoing rainfall and unstable terrain.
Montepadavu Landslide: A Mother's Desperate Fight Ends in Tragedy
In one of the most heart-wrenching incidents of the week, a pre-dawn landslide in Montepadavu, under Ullal limits, flattened a house and claimed the lives of three family members, including two young children and their grandmother.
The incident occurred around 4:00 am on Friday, May 30, as the family lay asleep in their modest hillside home. The victims were identified as:
• Prema Poojary (grandmother)
• Aryan (3 years)
• Aarush (2 years)
Inside the house at the time were six members of the family: grandparents Kanthappa and Prema Poojary, their son Seetharam, his wife Ashwini, and their two children. The intense rainfall triggered a sudden landslide that sent a large chunk of hillside crashing down, instantly collapsing a wall of the house onto the sleeping family.
Ashwini, in a desperate and heroic act, tried to shield her children from the falling debris using her own body. Despite sustaining serious injuries, she attempted to pull them to safety. According to neighbors who rushed to the scene, one child was playing in Ashwini’s lap moments before the collapse.
Tragically, both children were buried under the rubble and later found dead, while Ashwini lay unconscious, clutching their lifeless bodies. A video shot by a local showed Aarush, the younger child, briefly attempting to move under the debris, a chilling testament to the final moments before his death.
Rescue efforts were first attempted by local residents, who had to retreat multiple times due to the unstable hillside and continued downpour. Ashwini was heard pleading, "Save my children, don’t worry about me," before being pulled from the wreckage nearly 11 hours later by personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Ashwini is now battling for her life in the ICU, unaware that her children are no more. Her husband Seetharam and father-in-law Kanthappa also suffered injuries and are undergoing treatment. The incident has left the entire Ullal region in mourning.
Separate Landslide Claims Child’s Life in Ullal Taluk
In another rain-triggered tragedy, a 5-year-old girl named Nayeema, daughter of Naushad, died late Thursday night in Kanakare near Bella village (Ullal Taluk) after a retaining wall gave way. The mud and debris from the slide crashed through a window and fell directly onto the bed where the child slept. She died on the spot.
Local officials, including Ullal Tahsildar Puttaraju, Revenue Inspector Pramod, and other municipal staff, visited the affected area and are currently overseeing emergency relief efforts.
Urban Flooding Brings Mangaluru to a Standstill
Mangaluru city recorded its highest single-day rainfall this season on Thursday night, submerging several low-lying neighborhoods in knee-deep water. Inundated areas include:
• Mission Street
• Rao and Rao Circle
• Koppar Hitlu
• Padil
• Bajal
• PVS
• Jeppinamogaru
Flooded streets brought traffic to a standstill. Overflowing sewage lines and clogged manholes worsened the chaos, with residents voicing strong criticism of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) for not executing timely pre-monsoon preventive measures.
At Balmata near Ambedkar Circle, stagnant water flooded bus stops and disrupted interstate bus services, affecting college students and officegoers alike.
Infrastructure Damage Across the City
• A massive tree was uprooted on the Bejai–Kapikad Road, blocking movement near the KSRTC bus stand.
• Another tree fell onto the railway line between Mangaluru Central and Junction near Jeppu, damaging electric wires and forcing railway authorities to operate trains in a one-way pattern.
• In Jokatte, a landslip destabilized a hill, prompting fears among residents living downhill. Officials are assessing whether further evacuations are needed.
• At Kumpala, floodwaters lifted a Mahindra Thar and Maruti Swift, leaving the vehicles stranded mid-road. Dramatic videos of the incident circulated widely, drawing large crowds.
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Relief Measures Underway
Rescue and relief teams, including the NDRF, SDRF, and local emergency services, are on high alert. Shelters are being set up for displaced residents, and restoration work is ongoing in affected areas.
The district administration has issued a red alert, urging people in vulnerable zones to evacuate immediately and avoid hilly or low-lying areas.
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