A three-year-old girl, Krithika Nagesh Patil, died on Monday, May 26, after a wall from a neighbouring house collapsed onto her home in Mahalingeshwar Nagar, Gokak in Karnataka’s Belagavi district due to continuous rainfall. The incident occurred around 7:30 am while she was asleep beside her mother Reshma and one-year-old sister Khushi.
Belagavi Superintendent of Police Bheemashankar S Guled told TNM that the wall had likely been weakened by prolonged exposure to continuous rainfall over the past few days. “The wall collapse was caused by slow, sustained rain that had compromised the structural integrity over time,” he said. “Krithika died on the spot. Reshma and Khushi sustained injuries and have been admitted to Gokak Government Hospital. Both are stable and out of danger,” he added.
Following the incident, Gokak Tahsildar Sri Mohan Bhasme confirmed that a postmortem had been completed and official procedures for compensation were already in motion. “The family will receive compensation within the next 24 hours. There will be no delays,” he said.
The Tahsildar also said that the local administration had convened emergency meetings with the police, revenue department, and civic authorities to assess the structural safety of nearby homes. “We’ve begun relocating families from vulnerable houses in the area. Our teams are on the ground, and this process will continue throughout the day.” he added.
Commenting on the unusual pattern of rainfall, Mohan said “This wasn’t a sudden downpour. It was a slow, continuous drizzle spread over days, which silently compromised walls and foundations. That’s what makes it so dangerous—there’s often no clear warning.”
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Belagavi and Dharwad districts. The area will likely receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next few days, according to IMD. A red alert has also been issued for Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga.