10 days after landslide, body of third victim recovered in Kodagu

MADIKERI: Members of the national and state disaster response forces have been toiling for ten days when five people were buried alive in Brahmagiri Hills in Kodagu, and on Saturday, the body of 21-year-old Ravikiran, one of the victims of the landslide, was recovered. Ravikiran had been staying at Talacauvery temple chief priest Narayanachar’s home when disaster struck.
As on Saturday, three of the five victims of the landslide have been unearthed, while the fate of two other victims remains unknown.
In the meanwhile, Kodagu district in-charge minister V Somanna on Saturday participated in various rituals at the Talacauvery temple. The minister presented a cheque of Rs 2.5 lakh each to the two daughters of the late priest Narayanachar in Bhagamandala. Meanwhile, Swamy Anandathirtha’s sister Susheelamma Kedilaya was given a cheque of Rs 5 lakh. Somanna was accompanied by Kodagu deputy commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy, superintendent of police Kshama Mishra, MLA KG Bopaiah, MLC Sunil Subramani and MP Pratap Simha.
“The district administration will take the decision on continuing with the rescue operation,” said Somanna, adding that the state government would allow farmers to estimate the losses they had incurred owing to the flood. “The ryots will have use a dedicated application to claim compensation,” he said.