Thundershowers pour misery on HK, south interior K'taka

A house at Mangalgi in Kalagi taluk of Kalaburagi district collapsed following showers in the wee hours of Saturday. Three persons were killed while four others sustained grievous injuries in the incident. DH PHOTOS

Rain, accompanied by thunder, lightning and gusty winds, caused widespread damage in Hyderabad-Karnataka region and south interior districts.

Thunderstorm that hit the regions late Friday night damaged houses and brought down trees, electricity poles plunging many towns and villages in darkness and affected traffic movement.

Three of a family were killed when the ceiling and walls of a house collapsed at Mangalgi village in Kalagi taluk of Kalaburagi district in the wee hours of Saturday.

Abeedbi Mujawar (60), a resident of Kupanur in Chincholi, Alphiya Mustaf (12) and Shafique Bantnalli (10) of Mangalgi village, are deceased.

Four other occupants of the house have sustained serious injuries and are shifted to the district hospital in Kalaburagi.

Kalagi and Chittapur taluks witnessed downpour, coupled with high-intensity winds, from midnight to early hours of Saturday.

A 60-year-old man died after branches of a neem tree fell on him while he was asleep at Chinnapur near Kavital in Raichur district. Hanumanthappa Nayak is the victim.

Thunderstorm lashed Tumakuru city and surrounding areas on Friday night, plunging most parts of the city in darkness.

The showers, accompanied by strong winds, uprooted several trees and electricity poles at Ashoknagar, Siddaganga Layout, Gangothrinagar, Krishnanagar among others.

Bescom staff and civic workers had a tough time in clearing tree branches and restoring power supply on Saturday.

Gopuram damaged

Gopuram of Lakshmijanaradhan Swamy temple at Hosahudya in Chikkaballapur district was damaged in a lightning strike on Friday night. The impact was such that the Kalasa fell off and the statues erected on the gopuram have suffered extensive damage.

Heavy rainfall continued to lash Chikkaballapur town and several taluks including Chintamani. Recent spells of rain have brought cheers to the farmers of the parched district as they have begun preparing the land for the Kharif season.

Several houses have been damaged and acres of banana, tomato and mango crops were destroyed in Friday night thundershowers in Kolar and Mulbagal taluks.

Strong winds affected power supply in parts of Kolar and Mulbagal.