Monsoon rains lash Uttara and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka, 3 killed in 24 hours

Two men putting up a fence to prevent wild animals from entering their field were washed away in the gushing rainwaters at Post Betkuli in Kumta taluk on Thursday evening.

The Gokarna police told South First that the bodies of Satish Panduranga Naik (39) and Ullasa Jatti Gavadi (60) were later found some distance away from where they had been working.

The bodies were found after their relatives searched for them after they had failed to return even after 8.30 pm. It is believed that Naik drowned while trying to save Gavadi, who was caught in the strong current.

Also read: Heavy rains submerge, flood several places in Mangaluru

Minister visits rain-hit areas

Minister Mankal Vaidya, in charge of the district, visited the rain-hit Shirali and Muttalli villages in Bhatkal on Thursday.

The Kateli village in Joida taluk lost road connectivity to other parts of the district after a slab on a bridge collapses in the heavy downpour on Thursday. The incident came to light when a few villagers approached the bridge carrying an unwell person, and could not proceed further to Keloli.

The bridge was built with a grant of ₹45 lakh from the Zilla panchayat.

At Malkod village in Honnavar taluk, the tiled roof of a house was damaged after an uprooted coconut tree fell on it in the heavy thunderstorm. No injuries were reported.

A village officer visited the scene, assessed the damage, and promised suitable compensation to the house owner.

Strong winds blew away the roof of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company at Shirali in Bhatkal. More than 20 trees were uprooted at Mastikatte Circle in Kumta.

The power supply was affected after 20 electric poles were damaged. Four houses and the classrooms of a school suffered damage in the monsoon fury. Canals and stormwater drains were overflowing, inundating highways and approach roads, sources in the district administration said.

Paddy saplings were completely washed away from a field at Binaga village in Karwar.

Related: Systems in Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal bing back rains

Woman killed in Bantwal

Heavy rains continued in Dakshina Kannada district on Friday, affecting vehicular traffic at several places. A woman was killed in a landslide at Nandavaragumpu of Sajipamunnuru village in Bantwal early on Friday.

Identifying the deceased as Zareena (47), wife of Mohammed, the police said her 20-year-old daughter Shafa was rescued. The fire and emergency personnel retrieved Zareena’s body after a prolonged search.

The police said the two women were trapped in the remains of the house. Safa has been admitted to a hospital.

Besides the police and fire and emergency department personnel, officials from the taluk administration and tahsildar SB Koodalagi rushed to the scene to oversee the rescue operations.

District disaster management authority sources said 53 people were evacuated to safer places. Two relief camps have been opened at Mulki and one each in Mangaluru and Bantwal taluks.

Sources said the vehicular movement on the Puttur-Panaje Road in the district came to a halt after a low-lying bridge at Chelyadka was submerged on Thursday.

The Kumaradhara River in Kukke Subrahmanya swelled, almost submerging the bathing ghat beside the temple.

Reports from various parts of the district said 29 houses were damaged in the rains during the past two days.

Electric poles and lines were also damaged at different locations, district administration sources said.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada on Friday and an orange alert for Saturday.

The district administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi have declared holidays for educational institutions on Friday.

(With PTI inputs)