Shivamogga: In an incident triggered by an alleged domestic dispute, a woman from Chitradurga district jumped into the Tunga River in Shivamogga city with her three young children on Monday evening.The woman, identified as Bhavani, originally hailing from Hosuru village near Chitradurga and residing in a rented house in Savalanga, was seen walking along the railway tracks near the Arkeshwara Temple behind Chikkal Road along with her children__ six-year-old Sanvika, four-year-old Tanvika, and an 11-month-old baby boy. A local bystander named Naveen noticed her heading towards the river and shouted at her to stay clear of the tracks, but Bhavani threw her two daughters into the water first before jumping off the bridge into the flowing river while holding her infant son.Seeing the act unfold, locals including Naveen and Pradeep leapt into the swollen river and successfully pulled Bhavani and her 11-month-old baby boy to safety while she was still holding the infant under her arm. However, the two girls were swept away by the strong currents.Emergency responders, including Kote police station personnel and fire and rescue services department, rushed to the scene to conduct a search and rescue operation for the two missing girls, though the efforts had to be temporarily suspended on Monday night due to pitch darkness and heavy inflow into caused by two days of continuous rainfall.Shivamogga district SP B Nikhil said the search operation resumed on Tuesday morning, with police teams, fire personnel, and local divers working continuously to trace the missing children.Bhavani and her rescued infant son were immediately admitted to McGann District Hospital in Shivamogga for treatment, while police officers continue to investigate the family dispute details.Her relative Rakesh told reporters that she was facing family issues.Locals expressed serious safety concerns following the incident, pointing out that despite security personnel being present near the Arakeshwara Temple, similar suicide attempts have occurred three times in the area this year, prompting demands for stricter security measures and barricading along the riverbank. If you are having suicidal thoughts or are in need of emotional support, call suicide-prevention helplines — Arogya Vani: 104, Sahay Helpline: 080-25497777
