4 injured in low-intensity explosion at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe

Shivamogga: A 23-year-old medical intern was found dead in her hostel room at Subbaiah Medical College in Shivamogga on Monday, June 2, in what appears to be a case of suicide.

The deceased, identified as Vishnu Priya, hailed from Bengaluru and had recently completed her MBBS degree. She was in the final days of her internship, which was part of her graduation requirement.

According to sources, her parents are currently residing abroad. On the day of the incident, Vishnu Priya was alone in the hostel as most of her classmates had already left the campus. Concerned friends reportedly tried calling her multiple times. 

When she failed to respond, they informed the college authorities. The tragic discovery was made after the hostel staff unlocked her room around 11 a.m. and notified the police.

Her body was sent to the district general hospital for a post-mortem. Police sources suspect personal or family-related issues may have contributed to her death, although the exact cause is still under investigation.

Shivamogga Rural Police have registered a case of unnatural death based on a complaint filed by her relatives.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available: Call or message the mental health helpline at 8277946600, or visit a Neravu Kendra. Support is available in Kannada, Hindi, and English.

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.

Mangaluru, May 31: Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has voiced deep concern over the rising communal provocations and said that a stronger legal framework is urgently needed to tackle hate speech and inflammatory posts on social media. "There is no longer any fear of the law," he warned, indicating how the ease of bail in such cases has emboldened offenders.

Speaking to the media after a public grievance meeting at the Circuit House on Saturday, the minister responded to a question regarding the recent rise in communal tensions and targeted killings in the district.

“Those involved in hate crimes—whether assaults, murders, or riots—are often linked to illegal activities as well,” Gundu Rao said. “But the problem is, they easily get bail, and this has eroded the fear of the law. That’s why we need stricter laws, which we plan to introduce in the upcoming legislative session.”

He added that senior leaders themselves have been making divisive speeches. “Even MLAs like Yatnal have delivered provocative remarks. FIRs may be filed, but they walk free within hours. On social media, those sharing communally charged posts often do so under the protection of organizations or political backing.”

To counter this growing threat, the minister said a special task force has already been formed for the coastal districts to crack down on communal violence and unlawful activities. “We are determined to put an end to such lawlessness,” he asserted.

When asked about banning certain organizations involved in hate campaigns, the minister clarified that the state government does not have the authority to impose such bans. “We can only send proposals to the central government,” he said.

MLC Ivan D’Souza, Manjunath Bhandari, and local leaders like Kanachur Monu, Padmaraj, and Muhammad Monu were also present during the meeting.