Bengaluru: Providential escape for six families

Bengaluru: Sometimes even death can be a blessing in disguise! Six families of Mudigere taluk in Chikkamagaluru realised this after they had a providential escape from the jaws of death.

In spite of heavy rains, the families of Malemane village near Javali in Mudigere had an important function to attend- the 13th day death ceremony of one of their family members at Banakal, around 25 km from there. After attending the ceremony, the families returned to their village to find that their houses did not exist. All six houses had been buried under  50 feet of slush following a landslide. Last year's disastrous landslides in Kodagu district have now enveloped Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada districts too. The extent of damage is yet to be ascertained, as rescue teams could not reach most of the places. In Mudigere taluk, the landslides started from Banakal region and continued through Mathikatte, Balur, Javali, Kalasa and Kudremukh region.

In Sunkasale, near Kalasa,  at least 12 persons are not reachable after their houses were totally cut off. Choppers could not be pressed into service due to adverse weather and the heavy tree cover in the region.