Rains lash coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka, 5 districts on high alert

Unabated rains throughout the week in the coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka has led to loss of life as well destruction of property. Deaths have been reported from Kodagu, Udupi, Shivamogga, Hassan, and Kalaburagi districts.

Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Udupi districts are on high alert.

A four-year-old boy was killed after a wall collapsed due to the escalating rain in Kondandur village in Theerthahalli taluk of Shivamogga. Mashood was trapped under the rubble after the wall collapsed on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, another death was reported from Kodagu district. In Madikeri, Ammava, a labourer, died after stepping on a live electrical wire which fell on the ground.

A landslide in Hassan district’s Sakleshpur led to the death of one person after a lorry fell down a gorge. Hassan District Officials confirmed that they have recovered the body of one person, but are yet to find the body of the driver of the vehicle. In Hittalashirur village in Kalaburagi, 30-year-old Lakshmibai and her two daughters Yellamma and Ambika died during the wee hours of Thursday after the wall of the neighbouring house collapsed on their roof. The three of them were asleep when the incident occurred.

Heavy rains continued to affect normal life in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada as well as several parts of Kodagu and Shivamogga districts. Jalsuru in Sullia recorded the highest rainfall as it received 221.5 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. Other parts of the district including Puttur and Subramanya also received very heavy rainfall. The highway between Sullia and Madikeri was shut after landslides were reported along the route. Damage to property was reported in Subramanya, Kollamogru and Puttur in Dakshina Kannada.

Kodagu district

Kodagu district

Kodagu district also received heavy rainfall, and rescue operations are underway in several places in the district including Hattihole village. Relief camps or 'ganji centres' have been set up to provide shelter and food to people.

Traffic was stranded in Bhagamandala in Kodagu district due to the rain, and many roads have been shut due to the rains. Connectivity to places including Siddapura, Somwarpet and Suntikoppa were affected. Several fields were flooded in Kodagu due to the overflowing of Lakshmana Theertha river.

Kodagu district

Schools and colleges in Sullia were shut on Thursday, and a holiday was also declared in Kodagu district. No holiday was declared for schools and colleges in Dakshina Kannada or Udupi districts.

Kundapur, Udupi

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy met with the director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) to review the situation in the five districts that are on high alert and to oversee rescue operations. He also held a discussion with Air Force officers on Friday to take up rescue operations in the districts that have been issued high alerts.

As many as 654 houses in the state were damaged by the rains and 666 people have been evacuated so far.

"666 people have been evacuated in the state and relief camps have been set up in several areas of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu. There were heavy rains once again in parts of Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu. We are expecting that the rains will recede from tomorrow, " said Sunil Gavaskar, a meteorologist at the KSNDMC.

Helpline numbers

Kodagu - 08272 221077

Udupi - 0820 2574802

Dakshina Kannada - 0824 2220590

Hassan - 08172 261111

Shivamogga - 08182 225410

(With inputs from Mubarak)