Karnataka: 3 dead as rain batters state; red alert for 10 districts

Hubballi: Heavy rains battered several parts of Karnataka on Wednesday night and on Thursday, with Dharwad reporting the death of two people while one person died in Belagavi. 

The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has issued a red alert for 10 districts, including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Shivamogga. 

KSNDMC has also sounded an orange alert for six districts: Bagalkot, Gadag, Vijaypura, Davangere, Hassan and Mysuru. Koppal, Raichur, Chitradurga and Vijayanagar are under yellow alert.
Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds are forecast across the state till June 18.

KSNDMC in its daily report stated that nearly 64% of the state received fairly widespread rainfall with a minimum of 2.5 mm and maximum 266 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. 

Coastal districts of Uttara Kannada and Udupi and Dharwad witnessed widespread rainfall, with over 31 locations in these districts receiving more than 150 mm (15 cm) of rainfall. On Thursday too several parts of Uttara Kannada district received heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Vijayanagara, Raichur, Gadag and Haveri districts also received excess rainfall, following which several houses in low lying areas saw rainwater gushing into their houses.

Two persons lost their lives in Dharwad district, which received unprecedented rainfall on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

A 29-year-old man, Shivayya Vatnalmath, a resident of Kundagol town, died after the tractor in which he was travelling turned turtle while crossing a stream near Hunchinal village in Kundgol taluk. Two others who fell in the stream were rescued.

In Hubballi city, 58-year-old Hussainsab Sayedsab washed away in the storm water drain while crossing a bridge that was inundated by rainwater. 

In Belagavi’s Chikkananadi village, Fakiravva Laxman Haveri (65) was found dead under the debris of her house that collapsed following heavy rain on Thursday evening.

Dharwad district received nearly 770 per cent more than its normal rainfall in a day.   

In terms of departure from normal rainfall, Vijayanagara district saw a departure of 653 per cent of rainfall (normal 3 mm, actual 22.6 mm), followed by Haveri 716 per cent (3.2 mm, 26.1 mm), Gadag 559 per cent (4.4 mm, 29 mm), Bagalkot 532 per cent (3.4mm, 21.5 mm) and Raichur 523 per cent (3.5 mm, 21.8 mm).

Such was the impact of rain in and around the world famous Hampi that several historical monuments were submerged and the road leading to Vijaya Vittala temple was cut off.