Rains claim 14 lives in coastal Karnataka
Date
: 28th June 03
Newspaper
: The Hitavada
Correspondent :
NATURE’S FURY: Cause extensive damage to property
BANGALORE – Although delayed, the monsoon came in full force to wreak havoc I
the two coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada (Mangalore) and Udupi districts in
Karnataka, climbing 14 lives in the last one week, and causing extensive damage to
private and public property.
With two persons of a tipper lorry being drowned in new Mangalore Port
Trust (NMPT) premises Thursday night, the number of deaths in the Mangalore rose
to eight Thursday, police said. The incident occurred when the dirver and cleaner of
the lorry began to fill potash fertiliser from a ship. While the cause was still not
known, police said the lorry was submerged in the Post premises with only the top of
the lorry being visible.
Of the remaining six rain victims in Dakshina Kannada, three were buried
alive under the debris of house collapses, one each in Mangalore and Vittla in Puttur
taluk. Tow women, who were returning home from the fields, were electrocuted
when they came in contact with a live high-tension wire that had snapped due to
heavy rains in Kotemonjawar of Kalanje near Sullia while the sixth was washed away
in the surging waters of a stream in Idu village of Belthangady taluk. In Udupi
district, three persons died in Kundapur taluk, two in Udupi and one in Karkala.
Over 220 houses were damaged with about 60 of them being reduced to rubble
in both the districts, forcing their occupants as well as the people of the submerged
low-lying areas to seek shelter in make-shift camps set up by the administration.
The loss of property and damage in the district is estimated at Rs 275 lakh.
Much of the devastation was caused by the incessant downpour for four days,
form Friday (June 20) to Monday (June 22), which was unprecedented even by the
yardstick of this traditionally heavy-rainfall belt, accounting for the bulk of ht total
rainfall of about 10 cms recorded in the region since the monsoons set in 10 days ago.
The monsoon rains which played havoc in the region for the past four days. Deputy
Commissioner Aravind Srivastav has informed that three major roads in Dakshina
Kannada have been completely damaged and rendered homeless. A portion of the
Mangalore-Bajpe road near Chokkabettu has caved in while a hillock at Kenjar has
crumbled disrupting road traffic.
Over 60 roads and five bridges in Udupi district have been damaged,
according to information received here.