Downpour claims 4 lives in DK, Udupi

Udupi/Mangaluru: Heavy rain coupled with lightning which lashed coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada on Tuesday, has claimed four lives, reports DHNS from Udupi and Manglauru.

A 10-year-old girl was washed away in floods at Padabettu in Padubidri. According to police, Nidhi and her sister Nisha were returning home from school when they were washed away in the heavily flooded road. While locals managed to save Nisha, they could not rescue Nidhi. A search has been launched to trace her.

Sheela Nalke, a gram panchayat member was struck dead by lightning at her house in Basthrishale in Karkala, late on Monday night. Her house was damaged badly while her husband suffered severe injuries in the lightning strike. A 61-year-old woman was buried alive under the debris when a retaining wall collapsed at Udayanagar. The deceased has been identified as Mihini.

An aged and ailing woman drowned in floodwater which had entered her house in Kodialbail. The incident came to light late in the evening after her caretaker came home. It is said that Muktha Bai (80), who was bedridden, was sleeping on her bed in her house when floodwater started entering her home. “She may have tried to move from her bed, but slipped and fell down, and drowned in the water inside her house,” said her caretaker. MLA Vedvyas Kamath visited the house.