Seven people including a five-member family may have lost their lives on Tuesday due to a massive landslide that happened at Shirur in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district.
The police officials told PTI that the rescue work is underway.
The family members ran a road-side petty shop on National Highway 66. That exact spot is currently piled with mud and soil which plunged down a hill above during the landslide.
Reportedly, the landslide also pushed a gas tanker to nearby Gangavali river. The vehicle's driver and cleaner were reportedly having tea at the shop at the time of the incident and have been missing since.
The police suspect that the entire family got trapped inside the landslide along with the two customers.
Raising the issue in the Assembly, Karwar MLA Satish Sail said as per the reports he has got, 10-15 people might have fallen into the Gangavali river following the landslide, reported PTI.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told the House that he has asked for a report from the district administration and would make a statement later in the day.
Weather In Karnataka
With heavy and incessant rains continuing to lash several parts of Karnataka, IMD has reiterated its red alert for south interior and coastal parts of the state on July 16.
Meanwhile, heavy rain had brought many places to a standstill, especially in Uttara Kannada and Kodagu on July 15.
In Karwar taluk of Uttara Kannada district, four-lane national highway work and the barricade at Kadamba naval base have resulted in the flooding of the surrounding villages.
More than 100 vehicles were stranded on the highway. The hill was situated in one of the worst affected districts of Karnataka, near Kharwa in Uttara Kannada.
