A 49-year-old woman died and her daughter was injured after a section of a hillock collapsed onto their home in Nandavara near Mangaluru. Rescue teams responded as rains continue to cause havoc across coastal Karnataka.
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Hillock Collapse Kills Woman, Injures Daughter Near Mangaluru as Rains Ravage Bantwal Region
Bantwal (Dakshina Kannada) | June 2, 2025 — In yet another grim reminder of the dangers posed by unrelenting monsoon rains in coastal Karnataka, a 49-year-old woman lost her life after a section of a hillock collapsed onto her home in Nandavara, near Sajipa Munnuru in Bantwal taluk, on Friday evening.
The deceased, identified as Zarina, was trapped under a mass of red laterite soil along with her 20-year-old daughter, Shafa, when a large portion of the hill above their house caved in following days of heavy rainfall.
Tragedy in Bantwal: Woman Killed After Hillock Collapse Near Mangaluru
The Incident: A Sudden Roar and a Wall of Earth
According to eyewitness accounts and local officials, the incident occurred around 7:45 PM as Zarina and her daughter were preparing dinner in their modest residence built along the slope of the hill.
“There was a thunderous sound. In seconds, the kitchen wall was buried under wet soil and rocks,” recounted Mohammed, the owner of the house and Zarina’s relative.
Neighbours immediately rushed in with shovels and sticks, frantically trying to dig through the soil. It took nearly 30 minutes for local volunteers and police to extract the two women from the debris.
Zarina was declared dead on arrival at Bantwal Government Hospital, while Shafa sustained injuries to her leg and is recovering under observation.
Rains Continue to Batter Coastal Karnataka
The tragedy comes amid an extended spell of torrential rains that has left the Dakshina Kannada district on red alert, with low-lying areas experiencing flooding, waterlogging, and several incidents of treefalls and soil erosion.
“Soil loosening and slope failure due to heavy rains are becoming more frequent in this terrain,” said Dr. Ravi Kumar, a geotechnical engineer from Mangalore University. “Informal constructions along unreinforced hillocks are at extremely high risk.”
Rescue & Response: Authorities on High Alert
The Bantwal Taluk Administration, in coordination with the Fire and Emergency Services Department, conducted a preliminary safety inspection of surrounding residences, many of which are built without retaining walls or formal construction approvals.
“We have asked all residents in landslide-prone zones to evacuate temporarily. Relief shelters have been arranged in nearby schools and community halls,” confirmed Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M.P. Krishnamurthy.
Meanwhile, officials from the Disaster Management Cell have collected soil samples from the collapse site for further analysis.
A Pattern of Tragedies: The Toll of Unchecked Urban Growth
This is not the first fatal incident related to natural erosion in the region this monsoon season. Just last week:
A landslide in Montepadavu Kodi claimed the lives of a grandmother and her grandchildren.
A tree fell on a house in Puttur, leaving two injured.
Parts of Kalladka and Vittal reported river overflows threatening farmland.
The combination of heavy rainfall, unregulated hillside construction, and inadequate drainage infrastructure is being widely blamed for the rising frequency of such disasters.
Local Grief and Government Compensation
Zarina’s sudden death has devastated the local community, where she was known as a kind homemaker and active participant in local women’s self-help groups.
“She always helped during festivals and volunteered for Anganwadi programs,” said Shirin Banu, a neighbour.
The state government has announced an ex gratia compensation of ₹5 lakh, and officials have promised that Shafa’s medical expenses will be fully covered under the district relief fund.
Preventive Action: What’s Being Done Now
In response to the tragedy, the district has announced:
Immediate geo-tagging of hillside houses for risk mapping.
Deployment of retaining wall construction teams in rural Bantwal.
Formation of local disaster response committees for early warning and evacuation.
Experts are calling for long-term urban planning reforms, including mandatory environmental impact assessments before hillside developments and stronger local building code enforcement.
Conclusion: A Preventable Death Amid the Downpour
As Karnataka continues to battle extreme weather events driven by changing climate patterns, Zarina’s death is a sobering reminder of the human cost of delayed infrastructure resilience and insufficient enforcement.
With more rains forecast in the coming days, citizen awareness, government vigilance, and ecological accountability will be key to avoiding more such tragedies.
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