Periyapatna: In a tragic incident caused by relentless rain, a woman lost her life as a wall of a tobacco barrel collapsed at Kaggundi village, Periyapatna taluk, yesterday.

The victim, identified as Hemalatha (22), wife of Shivaraj, was taking her one-and-a-half-year-old child to the bathroom when the incident occurred. The child miraculously escaped unharmed as she managed to throw the child to safety before the wall crashed on her.

Local Police from Periyapatna arrived at the scene, registered a complaint and conducted a preliminary investigation. Revenue Department officials also visited the site to assess the damage.

Hemalatha’s body was sent for a post-mortem in Periyapatna before being handed over to her grieving family.

Village leader Raju highlighted the urgent need for attention to the deteriorating conditions of many old houses in the taluk. He urged the Revenue Department to conduct thorough inspections and expedite the rehabilitation of vulnerable families to prevent further tragedies, especially during the monsoon season. Residents are calling for immediate action to ensure the safety of vulnerable families as heavy rains continue to batter the region. Following the incident, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar visited the place and consoled the family.

Yaduveer also visited the rain-affected areas of Madikeri and Kushalnagar, including several sites where houses had collapsed. He sought information from Panchayat officers about the relief measures being taken to assist the affected residents.

Residents of Sai Layout in Kushalnagar complained to Yaduveer that their area floods annually whenever water is released from the Harangi Dam. They appealed to him for a permanent solution, expressing their desire to stay in their own homes during the monsoon instead of having to relocate to Kalaji Kendras.