Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (NP)

Udupi, Jun 8: A 74-year-old woman tragically lost her life after falling into a septic tank in Badanidiyoor village in the Malpe area of Udupi district on Saturday.

According to a complaint filed by her son, Shalfin Fernandes (47), a resident of Badanidiyoor, his mother, Alice D’Souza (74), had gone outside around 11.00 am on June 7 to dry clothes after washing them. While walking along a pathway, she stepped onto a stone slab covering a septic tank. The slab reportedly gave way, causing her to fall into the tank and become trapped between the broken concrete pieces.

When family members noticed her absence, Shalfin Fernandes began searching for her and found her trapped inside the septic tank. With the assistance of a local resident, Eshwar Malpe, he managed to pull her out at around 11.40 am. However, by then, she had already passed away.

Preliminary information suggests that Alice D’Souza may have drowned in the water inside the septic tank or succumbed to injuries after becoming trapped between the collapsed concrete slabs.

Malpe police have registered a case of unnatural death under UDR No. 39/2026 in accordance with Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Further investigation is underway.