Overnight rain pours misery on Koppal

Bengaluru: Overnight thundershowers, coupled with gusty winds, caused extensive damage to crops in Koppal district. Two farmers - Manjunath Gali (48) and Govindappa Myagalamani (62), both residents of Gauriangala in Koppal were struck dead by lightning on the outskirts of the town.

They were taking shelter at a make-shift farm house when the skies opened up. The incident came to light when their family members reached the farm searching for them.

An elderly man suffered grievous injuries when a portion of his house wall collapsed on him at Neeralagi village near Alwandi. Basappa Morageri, the victim, has been admitted to the Koppal district hospital.

The ready-to-harvest paddy, maize, pearl millet (sajje), betel leaves and banana on over 10,600 hectares in Koppal, Gangavathi, Karatagi, Kanakagiri and Yelaburga taluks have been destroyed in rain and strong winds.

The twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad received rain, coupled with thunder and lighting towards evening. The showers have cooled the cities that have seen the maximum temperatures soar to 37 to 38 degrees Celsius 

Down south, Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts experienced sharp showers, accompanied by gusty winds on Thursday night and Friday evening. Several shops at Dibburu were damaged after two massive trees fell on them. An electricity pole came crashing on a goods vehicle in the village. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident. A sharp spell of rain in the afternoon flooded the roads and low-lying areas in Kolar.

Heavy showers on Friday morning caused hardships to the commuters in Mangaluru city with the motorists taking Kuntikana Junction on airport road facing the maximum brunt of rain and flooding.

Rain played spoilsport for the Babbuswamy Nemotsava at Katpadi Enegudda near Shirva. The kola was stopped after rainwater entered the shamiyana erected for the popular ritual of Dakshina Kannada. The committee postponed the Nemotsava after a sharp spell of rain turned the venue slushy.