MANGALURU/UDUPI, 1 AUG

Phalguni River in Dakshina Kannada and Shambhavi in Udupi district are in spate following torrential rains in the past two days, officials said on Thursday.

As a result of the heavy to very heavy rainfall, a woman, 56, died after her house partially collapsed in Nellikaru village in Udupi.

According to the secretary of Nellikaru Village panchayat Prashanth Jain the woman was alone in her house when the wall collapsed. Her three children were engaged in covering the leaking roof of the house with a tarpaulin sheet, but a sudden gush of water broke down the wall.

The water level in the Phalguni River recorded a sudden rise early on 1 August and saw at least eight houses in Kadapa and Kariya villages flooded. The river water entered about eight houses of Ammunje village near Polali.

Archana Bhat said there was heaps of garbage floating on the water that had hindered rescue operations. Mangaluru Electric Supply Company has also deployed additional people to clear the area of fallen electric poles and cables.

In Udupi, it has been raining continuously for the past 72 hours. In Karkala taluk on Wednesday there was heavy rain and many rivers including the Shambavi were overflowing.

During last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Thursday, Renjala of Karkala taluk received a total of 319.5 mm rain, while it was 289.5 mm in Sanur in Karkala, 278.5 mm in Madamakki in Kundapur, 269 mm in Shirtadi.

The houses of Mundkur gram panchayat members Ashok Shetty, Suresh Shetty and Bhaskara Shetty were destroyed. PTI