Bengaluru: Two people were killed while one is missing as heavy rains lashed several parts of Karnataka on Wednesday, leading to suspension of trains and vehicular movement between coastal and old Mysore region.
Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy ordered commissioners of five districts to issue a high alert and asked district incharge ministers of Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Shivamogga to keep an eye on the situation.
An advisory by the meteorological department said the region received “exceptionally heavy to very heavy” rainfall due to the southwest monsoon being rigorous over the coastal and south interior region of the state.
Speaking to News 18, director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Dr Srinivas Reddy, said: “The coastal district of Udupi received the maximum rainfall — 35.7cm — over the past 24 hours. The other coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada saw a maximum of 33.8cm and Uttara Kannada received 33.6cm. The south interior districts of Kodagu received 28.8cm rainfall, Chikkamagaluru 25.1cm, Hassan 24.5cm, and Shivamogga 33.6cm.”
As many as 666 people have been moved to relief camps after 712 houses were damaged in six districts of Karnataka. Schools and colleges remained shut while people in low-lying areas were evacuated by rescue teams of NDRF, SDRF, fire services and civil QRT.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), in an official statement, said premium bus services from Bengaluru towards Mangaluru, Dharmasthala and Kundapura had been cancelled due to landslides.
Charmadi Ghat and Shiradi Ghat that connect Mangaluru were closed after heavy landslides cut off access to the road. The district administration has started rescue operations under the watchful eyes of the chief minister.
A bus veered off the road in Chikkamagaluru.
Hassan district’s Sakaleshpur sub-division regional officer Lakshmikanth Reddy told News18 that the road would be closed and repair work would begin shortly. The KSRTC has stopped bus services to Kerala’s Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Kannur districts from state capital Bengaluru.
It is expected that heavy rainfall will continue to lash coastal, malnad and south interior districts of the state. The fishermen in coastal areas have been advised to not venture out in the sea.
South Western Railway sources said trains were either partially cancelled or diverted. Among those partially cancelled were the Karwar-Yesvantpur Express between Mangaluru and Yesvantpur, and the Yesvantpur-Mangaluru Express between Hassan and Mangaluru.
The situation is expected to prevail for the next three to four days, according to the weather forecast.
(With inputs from Revathi Rajeevan)
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