Four of a family, including a couple, were buried alive when the mud roof of their house came crashing down on them at Rabakavi near here in Jamakhandi taluk in the wee hours of Sunday.
The dead are Nagappa Araballi, 45, his wife Danamma, 36 and their sons Omprakash, 8, and Pramod, 7.
Their other son Prasad, 12, had a miraculous escape. He is undergoing treatment at the community health centre in Banahatti. Nagappa Araballi earned his livelihood by selling snacks near the police outpost at Rabakavi.
Prasad woke up from sleep and could hear the sound of the roof collapsing. But, by the time he could wake up his family, the roof had collapsed.
The roof had been strengthened with funds from the government during the floods of 2009. But that could not prevent it from collapsing on Sunday.
MLA Siddu Savadi presented a cheque of Rs 1.5 lakh as ex gratia to the kin of the deceased.
Published 22 July 2012, 18:36 IST