Watch: Road caves in and disappears from sight within fraction of seconds
PTC Web Desk: A massive landslide near Harle estate in Sakleshpur, Hassan district, Karnataka, on the night of July 29 has damaged a vital road that serves as an alternative route to the Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway. The landslide has affected several nearby villages, causing major disruptions.
Landslide near Harley estate, Sakleshpura, Hassan. Congratulations & special mention to everyone who supported Yettinaholle (Disastrous) Project which is to destroy the mighty Western Ghats in Karnataka ???????? #Landslides #SaveWesternGhats #KarnatakaRainspic.twitter.com/qveDzA8XCx pic.twitter.com/FI1x7K8PBM
— Karnataka Weather (@Bnglrweatherman) July 30, 2024
Social media is flooded with images and videos of the landslide. One widely shared video shows a portion of the road collapsing and disappearing from view within fraction of seconds. “Large chunks of a hillock fell on vehicles travelling on the road. Vehicular movement has been badly affected,” said an X user.
#Landslide occurred on the Mangaluru - Bengaluru NH 75 near Shiradi ghat at Doddathappale, Sakleshpura taluka in #Karnataka #KarnatakaRains
Large chunks of a hillock fell on vehicles travelling on the road. The vehicular movement has been badly affectedhttps://t.co/wfm5GrCM2z https://t.co/U5I0t94mRV pic.twitter.com/b65yXaqii6 — Karnataka Weather (@Bnglrweatherman) July 30, 2024
The Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway has been plagued by multiple landslides in recent weeks, creating chaos and significantly hindering the flow of vehicles and goods in the region. Another incident occurred at Shiradi Ghat near Doddathople in Sakleshpur, where a major landslide disrupted traffic on National Highway 75. This landslide caused a car, lorry, and gas tanker to be trapped, resulting in a complete suspension of vehicle movement and extensive roadblocks. However, no fatalities were reported.
Hats off to the heroes who are working day and night to restore train services between Mangaluru and Bengaluru due to the landslide between Yedakumeri and Kadagaravalli! ????
Thank you, @DrmMys madam and the entire team,for your great efforts to restore the train services!@SWRRLY pic.twitter.com/gSVuxqTtF2 — Dakshina Kannada District Railway Users (@dkdistrictrail) July 29, 2024
Besides road disruptions, the landslide is expected to delay train services between Bengaluru and Mangaluru by up to 15 days. The railway tracks between Edakumeri and Kadagaralli along the Shiradi Ghat have been severely damaged, leading to train cancellations and rerouting. Repair work is in progress, but officials estimate it will take approximately 15 days to fully restore the tracks. The landslide has also obstructed road access. Two engines are being used to haul wagons filled with rocks and materials, while over 750 workers manually move supplies to the damaged area. Emergency response teams are on-site to clear the debris.
- With inputs from agencies
