JOIN USTwo farmers were struck dead by lightning when they were working in the fields, in separate incidents on Tuesday.
Andappa Mudiyappa Tippannavar, 29, and six others were working in the fields when it started raining, at Maktumpur in Mundargi taluk of Gadag district.
They took shelter at a shed in the farm. Tippannavar who was standing near the door of the shed was struck dead by lightning. Three others standing behind him suffered injuries.
Mahadevappa Bheemappa, 52, died after lightning struck him, while working in the fields at Byrimaddi village of Surapur taluk in Yadgir district on Tuesday evening.
Two persons were injured when lightning struck them at Udogere village near Chikkajajur in Holalkere taluk of Chitradurga district on Tuesday evening.
The injured are Ravikumar, 30, and Kamalamma, 30. The hut where they were sleeping caught fire and was completely destroyed when lightning struck it. The injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment.
A house was gutted when lightning struck it, at Adkaru in Jalsoor of Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada district on Tuesday. The house belongs to Krishna Naika. Two children who were inside the house ran out when lightning struck it. One of them suffered injuries in the ear.
In Bellary
Rain brought cheers to the farming community in the district on Tuesday. Most places, including Bellary city, received good rainfall from the early hours till the evening. Farmers are hoping for a bumper harvest this rabi season.
Normal life was affected as it drizzled throughout the day. There were also a few spells of heavy rain. The rain is expected to help the jowar, groundnut, sunflower, coriander and maize crops, kindling hopes of a good harvest.
The highest rainfall of 34 mm was recorded in and around Kurugodu in the taluk.
However, paddy farmers in and around Kampli fear that the rain may damage their crop as it is harvest season now. It has been generally cloudy with dipping temperatures in the district.
In Davangere, Chitradurga
Showers brought respite to people reeling under scorching heat in the two districts.
R G Gollar, joint director of agriculture, Davangere, told Deccan Herald, that the rains in the last couple of days would greatly help rabi crops like ragi, jowar and millets.
But the showers have adversely affected groundnut growers in Jagalur and Harapanahalli taluks in Davangere district, Molakalmur, Challakere and other taluks in Chitradurga district.
In Udupi
Mild showers lashed some parts of the district after a gap of 24 hours on Tuesday.
The rain that started around afternoon continued till late evening. The district recorded 1.4 mm rain in the last 24 hours.
Though Udupi and Kundapur taluks did not record any significant rainfall, Karkala taluk recorded 4.2 mm.