The Hindu : Front Page : Four children and two women buried alive in Kodagu district

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Wednesday, Jul 05, 2006

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Four children and two women buried alive in Kodagu district

Staff Correspondent

Debris from a landslip falls on houses leading to the tragedy

HELP AT HAND: A body being removed from the site of the disaster near Madikeri on Tuesday.

Madikeri: Six persons, including four children, were buried alive when debris from a landslip fell on their houses on Madikeri-Mekeri Road on Monday.

The dead were identified as Manju (37), her son, Manu (9), and daughter Mallige (3); Radha (37), her daughter Jyoti (13) and son Abhishek (12).

Pallavi (17), said to be the stepdaughter of Radha, was found in an unconscious state near the road. She has been shifted to the District Hospital here.

Heavy rain and gale hampered rescue operations. The last body to be recovered at 9 a.m. on Tuesday was that of a girl. On hearing the news around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Subodh Yadav and Superintendent of Police K. Ramachandra Rao rushed to the spot. President of the Kodagu Christian Welfare Association K.T. Baby Mathew was among the first to rush to the spot with two earthmovers from Virajpet.

Three more families residing on the hillocks near the site of landslip had been asked to move to a safe place, Mr. Subodh Yadav said. He announced compensation to the next of kin of the dead at Rs. 50,000 for loss of each life.

Fire Services personnel drawn from Madikeri and Kushalnagar recovered the bodies. The police, city municipal council workers, Home Guards and villagers from Mekeri rendered assistance.

Mangalore MP D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Madikeri MLA K.G. Bopaiah Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat K. Sundar Naik, Municipal Commissioner Ramdas and Tahsildar K.D. Somaiah visited the spot.

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