Shivamogga: Three members of a family were killed after continuous heavy rain triggered a massive landslip, causing a 60-foot-long retaining wall to collapse in the early hours of Sunday at Indira Nagar in Gandhi Nagar ward of Thirthahalli town in Shivamogga district.The tragedy occurred around 2.30am when the earth behind the embankment gave way under relentless rainfall, sending the massive concrete structure crashing onto temporary sheds at the base of the hillock.The deceased were identified as Mallikarjuna, 35, his wife Nagaveni, 28, and their three-year-old son Santhosh. The family hailed from Kakkaragola village in Karatagi taluk of Koppal district and had migrated to Thirthahalli for work as daily-wage labourers engaged in boulder loading and agricultural activities.Indira Nagar is a steep, hilly locality that houses more than 40 migrant working-class families, including around 15 families from Hospet and five from Davanagere. To mitigate landslide risks in the area, authorities had earlier constructed a 60-foot concrete retaining wall. However, it collapsed under the pressure of accumulated mud and rainwater.While 15 to 16 residents managed to escape as the mud began to slide, the couple was trapped while trying to wake their young son. Police, fire and emergency services personnel, assisted by residents and municipal workers, launched a rescue operation. The bodies of the victims were recovered, and another resident, Hanumantha, who sustained leg injuries, was rescued and shifted to McGann District Hospital in Shivamogga.Following the incident, authorities evacuated 17 residents from neighbouring high-risk sheds and moved them to temporary shelters. Former minister and BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra visited the site and sought immediate compensation for the victims’ family. Former MLA Kimmane Ratnakar urged officials to provide proper alternative housing for migrant workers residing in the area.A case has been registered at Thirthahalli police station.Speaking to TOI, Thirthahalli tahsildar Ranjith said the bodies would be handed over to the family after the postmortem. He added that around two dozen migrant labourers had come to the town for various jobs, including agricultural work. Temporary shelter has been arranged for them, and an investigation into the incident is underway.
