Mangaluru: Three people, including two children and a woman, died after a wall collapsed onto a row of rented houses in the Garodi area under Kankanady Police Station limits in Mangaluru early on Wednesday.
Wall collapse triggers panic in early hours
The incident reportedly occurred at around 4.30 am, when residents were asleep. A loud noise suddenly woke people in the neighbouring houses as the wall came crashing down.
A local resident recalled being struck by a piece of the collapsing wall and waking up to the commotion. On switching on the light, the resident reportedly saw neighbours rushing outside and found that the back door of the house had become jammed due to the debris.
The resident then alerted others in the adjoining houses.
Rescue teams search through debris
Several people were trapped beneath the rubble following the collapse. Rescue teams reached the spot and began efforts to locate those buried under the debris.
An NDRF team arrived at around 5 am and joined the rescue operation. According to the local resident, rescuers managed to pull two children out safely, while two other children had already died.
A woman was also found dead following the collapse, while her husband was shifted to hospital for treatment.
Investigation into collapse underway
The incident has caused shock among residents in the Garodi area, particularly as the wall collapsed during the early morning hours when most people were asleep.
Rescue operations were carried out to evacuate those trapped beneath the debris. Further details regarding the cause of the wall collapse and the identities of the deceased are awaited.