Three persons washed away in floods in North Karnataka

Three persons were washed away in the floodwaters of the swollen rivers in northern Karnataka.

A 28-year-old pilgrim from Kalyan in Maharashtra was washed away at the confluence of river Bhima and river Amarja near the Temple town of Deval Gangapura in Gulbarga district’s Afzalpur taluk.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Gulbarga district Pankaj Kumar Pandey, the victim Dayanand Shankar Munde, who was part of a 50-member team from Maharasthra visiting the Sri Datta Temple at Deval Gangapura, went for dip ignoring the warning of the police and local people.

He was washed away in the swirling waters soon after he entered the river. Fishermen present on the scene tried to rescue him, but in vain. His body is yet to be recovered, officials said.

A sixty-year-old person was washed away in the swollen river Krishna at Shurpali village in Bagalkot district’s Jamkhandi taluk on Friday.

According to information reaching here, Basappa Bhimappa Kumbar, 60, wished to leave the marooned village and began wading through the water on the inundated approach road on Friday evening. He was washed away in the strong currents.

Superintendent of Police in Bagalkot district Ramesh Harihar told reporters that efforts were underway to recover Kumbar’s body.

Another 28-year-old youth had lost his live in river Bhima on Friday. Police said Imamsab Ali Sab, a native of Devulgaon village on the banks of river Bhima in Bijapur district’s Sindagi taluk, went for a swim and lost his life. He went for a swim in the flooded Bhima river near Devulgaon bridge and was washed away.

The death of the three persons in flood waters in northern Karnataka has taken the death toll to five. Two others had drowned in the floodwaters earlier this week.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in northern Karnataka, particularly in villages on the banks of river Krishna and its tributary Bhima, appeared to be worsening with each passing day owing to the discharge of excess water from Ujani and Veerbhatkal reservoirs across the border in neighbouring Maharashtra.

Vehicular movement between the border district of Belgaum and adjoining Bagalkot was completely blocked after the bridge on a canal near Sambra airport in Belgaum was washed away.

Apart from passenger vehicles, hundreds of trucks, many carrying iron-ore, were found lined up near the collapsed bridge since Friday.