UNI
Mysore, May 2: Seven people, including three women, were killed due to widespread rain that lashed Mysore District in the early hours of Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner S Selvakumar said that four fishermen were killed when lightning struck them while sleeping by the side of river Lakshmanathirtha at Hosuru Kallahalli in K R Nagara taluk in the District. They were sleeping after putting net to catch fish in the river. Two others sustained injuries.
The victims were identified as Yogensha (28), Venkate Gowda (40) Ravi Gowda (40) and Mahadev (40). The injured were admitted to Government Hospital in K R Nagara.
In Mysore City, a mother and her two teen-aged daughters were washed away in the flash flood at Bannimantappa extension.
The victims were sleeping in a mud hut, built adjoining to a big drainage, when the rain water rushed in the mud wall was washed out and swept all the three members into drainage. However, owner of the house Sudhara escaped from being washed away as other members of his family.
Additional details from Star of Mysore
Mysore, May 2: In a major tragedy, a woman and her two daughters were washed away in Medar Block when it rained heavily in the early hours of today.
The victims — Mallaravadi (32) and her daughters Deepu (14) and Divya (12) — were fast asleep when their hut on the edge of a huge open drain near Yadavagiri underbridge collapsed at around 2 am.
Mallaravadi's husband Sudhakar, a labourer in APMC Yard, who was also with his wife and daughters, however, escaped.
He informed the other dwellers in the slum about the tragedy. The helpless dwellers, however, were not in a position to contact the authorities immediately as it was raining heavily.
On receiving information, fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot at around 3.30 am and launched search for the victims, according to former Corporator Vasudeva, who visited the slum this morning.
Police personnel, fire brigade personnel and Pourakarmikas started searching for the victims along the drain which passes through Medar Block, burial ground of Jodithenginamara in Bannimantap, Hanumanthanagar and near JSS Medical College. JCB excavators have also been pressed into service. During the search near Hanumanthanagar, a slum dweller, who spotted a saree in the drain, said that it belonged to Mallaravadi.
Minister visits
District in-charge Minister G.T. Devegowda visited Medar Block and met Sudhakar.
Deputy Commissioner S. Selvakumar, Corporation Commissioner Dr. K.N. Chandrashekhar, MLC S. Chikkamadu and City JD(S) President T. Devaraju accompanied him.
Sudhakar narrated the incident to the Minister. Though he too was caught in the flood waters, he caught hold of something at a distance of about 50 feet and managed to come out of the drain, Sudhakar said.
The search was intensified in the drain near Hanumantha-nagar this afternoon.
The Minister promised immediate relief to Sudhakar.
Many trees uprooted, power supply snapped
The city received its first big rain for the season in the wee hours of today. It all began with heavy droplets a little after 1 am and soon there was a heavy downpour accompanied by gusty winds.
The city recorded a rainfall of 75 mm. After about two hours of heavy rain, light drizzle continued until about 5 am. A deafening thunder followed a blinding lightning that struck just before 2 am.
A huge tree fell across the road near Highway Circle and another tree fell on the Ashadayaka Seva Trust building in Medar Block.
Two huge trees were found uprooted near Hotel Paradise in Yadavagiri.
Due to the damage to power lines caused by the trees, most parts of the city went without electricity since last night itself.
The CESCom officials said that the supply would be resumed by evening.
Vehicular traffic was affected on Sayyaji Rao Road as a tree was found uprooted near the Government School for the Blind.
A scooterist had a miraculous escape when a tree, all of a sudden, was uprooted near RMC behind private bus stand at around 9.20 am today. The tree fell behind him, as he was proceeding towards RMC Circle.