School and colleges shut as heavy rain lashes Karnataka

With heavy rains lashing, schools and colleges in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have been shut. At least three persons were killed in a landslide late Wednesday in Bantwal.

Owing to the heavy rainfall, the local administrators in the districts have declared a holiday on Thursday for Anganwadis, schools, pre-universities, and colleges.

Five labourers working on a farm were trapped under the mud following a landslide at Panjikallu in Mangaluru district. A person rescued is undergoing treatment.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for some districts including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada on Thursday. As per the forecast, rains will continue till Friday. Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong gusty winds are predicted in these regions. Fisherfolk has been advised not to venture into sea.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday directed the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force to carry out rescue operations.

He said rescue operations had already been started in many places. He also said that due to incessant rains, houses and properties got damaged in coastal districts and Kodagu.

In areas like Malnad, homes, buildings, electric poles and several other structures have been damaged by rains. Swollen rivers have inundated low-lying areas.

He also said the state government is planning to build rehabilitation centres in high altitude areas along low-lying areas so that the people could be shifted there in times of heavy rainfall.

Bommai said: “Instructions given to stop prevent sea erosion, evacuate people living in low-lying places with common landslide occurrences and also to keep roads clear. Our teams are prepared with all equipment.”

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On Wednesday, a compound wall of an engineering college collapsed due to heavy rainfall at Moodbidri on the outskirts of Mangaluru.