Continued rains have claimed three more lives in Dakshina Kannada taking the death toll in rain-related incidents to seven since Wednesday.
While two autorickshaw drivers were electrocuted near Rosario school in Mangaluru on Wednesday night, a woman also suffered the same fate at Shibaje village, under Dharmasthala police station limits, in Belthangady taluk on Thursday evening.
Earlier, four persons of a family died in a wall collapse on the outskirts of Mangaluru on Wednesday morning.
The police gave the names of deceased auto drivers as Raju, 50, son of Anne Gowda, from Palya hobli, Alur, Hassan district, and Devaraj, 46, son of Veerappa Gowda, from Ramakunja village, Puttur taluk in Dakshina Kannada.
The woman who died was identified as Pratheeksha Shetty, 21, daughter of Ganesh Shetty and Rohini of Shibage village.
The drivers lived in a rented room near Rosario church. They came into contact with a electricity line that had fallen on the road, around 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The line fell following heavy rains, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal said on Thursday.
Raju came in contact with the line first when he came out of his room. Hearing Raju’s screams, Devaraj came out and tried to save him using a gunny bag. Both died on the spot, he said.
The police earlier thought that the incident took place early on Thursday. But when they checked the CCTV camera footage, they learnt that the incident took place on Wednesday night at 9 p.m.. None of the neighbours seem to have noticed the incident owing to the heavy rains on Wednesday night, the Police Commissioner said.
D. Padmavathi, Managing Director, Mescom, said that the power line snapped after a tree branch fell on it. She said that the incident took place notwithstanding the company taking several precautionary measures.
She has instructed company officials to inspect the power supply lines which may pose risk. People can call the company’s helpline 1912 if they notice any such cables, Ms. Padmavathi said.
Sources said that Pratheeksha Shetty died after suffering an electric shock when she walked through rainwater on a road. It is said that a live electric line resulted in the mishap. Though the father tried to rescue the daughter he too suffered the shock.
On Wednesday night, a portion of a retaining wall of a mosque at New Padpu in Harekala village on the outskirts of Mangaluru collapsed. No one was injured in the incident, and the building was not damaged.
Schools and anganwadis remained closed in Dakshina Kannada on Thursday owing to the rains.
A portion of a retaining wall of a masjid at New Padpu, in Harekala village on the outskirts of Mangaluru, collapsed at night following heavy rain in Dakshina Kannada district of coastal Karnataka, on June 26, 2024. No one was injured in the incident, and the masjid building was not damaged. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Published - June 27, 2024 11:09 am IST
