Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)
Mangalore, Aug 14: Tragedy always comes unexpectedly. The Ulaibettu water tragedy which claimed innocent lives came as real shocker to all. None might have ever even dreamed of such a tragedy striking the district. It is almost 10 hours after the Bami school bus plunged into Phalguni river at Ullaibettu near Gurpur here. But the rescue operations are still on to locate this missing. After some school bags were found near Maravoor vented dam, the rescue team has also reached there to trace the missing persons.
Mangalore is known for excellent medical facilities. But on this fateful day even the best of medical facilities did not reach the spot on time. Though many of the passengers were rescued with the help of the locals, they did not reach the hospitals immediately owing to the road block. The ambulances had to struggle to reach the hospitals in between the blocked roads.
Rescued students
Balmi School
The incident occurred just about few meters away from the National Highway 13. The place is located about 15 kilometers away from the city. This road never finds such vehicular pressure on usual days. But today people just started to reach the spot. This resulted in the traffic block. Hospital sources opine that a few of the casualties could have been averted if the road was clear.
Meanwhile, the incident showed the inability of the district administration to face any disaster. When the police department got the news of the incident, the first call went to the swimmers of Ullal. Nearly 25 swimmers from Ullal rushed the spot for rescue operations. But they could not do much. The expert swimmers and divers from the fire brigade department also joined their hands after few hours. But they were lacking experience in swimming in the flooded river. Their inexperience was proving hurdle for the others to continue the rescue operations.
Flood disasters are not new to Dakshina Kannada. But everytime such tragedies have struck, the inefficiency of the district administration too has come to fore. Time and again the district administration has proved that it needs to do a lot to plug loopholes within itself. But till they do so efficiently, perhaps a few more innocent lives have to pay the price.
Mangalore: Ullaibettu Tragedy – 11 Bodies Fished out - 12 Rescued
Updates at 12.45pm
Mangalore, Aug 14: Search and rescue operations to save more than 18 missing children in the Ullaibettu water tragedy are going in full swing at the moment. Since it has already been almost 4 hours since tragedy took place, there are remote chances of survival of missing children. However, as stated earlier, heavy rains and sea of people rushing to the spot are hampering rescue operations.
Daijiworld correspondent reporting from the spot said that bus driver Badruddin is largely to be blamed for the heart-wrenching tragedy. "He has always been a reckless driver. His driving always involves a lot of risk. We have been witness to this time and again," said one of the locals while speaking to our correspondent. He too has been missing in the tragedy and now it is largely presumed that he has been washed away.
It is now quite confirmed that tragedy took place when driver Badruddin maneuvered the vehicle to his right in order to escape a pothole which was filled with rain water. But he lost control over the vehicle and landed into the swollen river Phalguni.
One of the deceased has been identified as Kamalaksha of Permanki who was an electrician by profession. Sapnaz, Shabina, Mescom employee Anita, I PUC student Shabana, Vinuta have been rescued along with Shahid and Ashpak. There were a total of 7 students of St Raymond School Vamanjoor in the bus. All of them have been rescued. They are identified as Shabana, Sapnaz, Shabina, Shahida, Mumtaz, Sapnaz and Ashphina. Among these expect Shabana, all others were studying in IX standard.
Shabana who is student of St Raymond school of Vamanjoor speaking to Daijiworld correspondent said that the bus was full with children and elders while about 6-7 persons were standing inside the bus. Some unconfirmed reports also said that there could have been more persons in the bus than already reported. Some of the persons who have survived in the tragedy also confirmed this.
Saramma and her daughter Ramlat who were going to the doctor are still missing, along with one Hasina.
Meanwhile rescue operations are on near a dam which falls under Moodshedde village and which is just 2 kilometres away from Ullaibettu.
Mangalore: Ullaibettu Tragedy – 11 Bodies Fished out - 12 Rescued
Spot Report: Melka Miyar - pics - Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)
Contact Police control room at 0824 -2220500 for further details
Mangalore, Aug 14: District-in-charge minister Krishna Palemar speaking from the spot at Ullaibettu said that locals and fire fighters have fished out 11 bodies from river Phalguni. Out of the 11 deceased, 9 are children while two are elders. He confirmed that there were about 35 people in the school bus out of which 23 were children. Locals and expert divers have also managed to rescue about 12 people who have been admitted to local hospitals. Since they were in water for more than half and hour, their situation is very critical.
The entire district is reeling under heavy rains. This has hampered the rescue operations too. But some of the locals have plunged into the river in order to save the lives of the children. Meanwhile people are rushing to the spot and some sources said that about 10, 000 people have converged around the area blocking traffic.
But entire tragedy has once again exposed the short coming of fire brigade in the district. If some persons have been rescued, it is only owing to the commitment of locals and not the fire fighters. Locals say that district fire fighters have limited themselves only to get into action whenever there is some fire tragedy. Other than this, they are not properly trained or even equipped these kind of tragedies. Though the district is growing in leaps and bounds in all aspects, fire brigade is working under the same age-old methods without updating themselves.
Since the driver of the school bus too has been washed away in the tragedy, no one exactly knows as how many people were inside the school bus. On the other hand, the private bus strike too has contributed to this tragedy. Since there were no many buses on this route, it is said that some locals too had got into this school bus to reach their destinations.
District-in-charge minister Krishna Palemar who is on the spot has already announced a compensation of Rs 1 lac each to the families of the deceased. The locals have already removed the bus from the river.
More details awaited.
School Bus with Nearly 40 Children Plunges into River Phalguni near Gurpur
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)
Mangalore, Aug 14: In what could be said as the worst-ever tragedy in the district, a school bus carrying more than 30 children and staff, plunged into river Phalguni near Ullaibettu near Gurupur here on Thursday August 14 morning.
Eyewitnesses said that there were more than 30 children in the bus along with a few e staff members. The tragedy struck when the school bus belonging to Bhalmi School at Kaikamba fell into river Phalguni at Ullaibettu when the driver of the bus reportedly lost control over the vehicle. Owing to incessant rains, river Phalguni was flowing well over its danger mark and it is said that the nearby road which leads to the city had partially submerged. Owing to this reason, the driver misjudged the breadth of the road and lowered the vehicle into the swollen river Phalguni while trying to give way for an oncoming vehicle.
Recent reports reaching Daijiworld office said that already 5 bodies have been fished out of the water and 7 persons have been rescued by locals. Fire fighters have already reached the spot and have started the rescue operations. District-in-charge minister J Krishna Palemar has also rushed to the spot.
Though nothing has been established yet, it is feared that more than 30 persons, majority whom are school children, have met watery grave in the tragedy. Since the river Phalguni is already flowing well over the danger level and rains too continue to lash the region, rescue operations have been facing more problems.
Daijiworld will keep readers updated with latest details at regular intervals.