Mangalore: Was it 'Shani' who Ruled 'Shatter'-day, June 23, 2007 ?
by Richie Lasrado
Resident Editor
Daijiworld.com
Mangalore
Mangalore, Jun 24: Saturday, June 23 indeed appeared like a 'Shatter'-day.
It was a day of Saturn - 'Shani', the purveyor of distress and destruction according to Indian beliefs. The ruling planet of the day wrought one hell of a disaster in this part of the earth.
Just look at a headlines of the day:
The scenes of the shipwreck and rescue operation (Pics Dayanand Kukkaje)
- A ship sinks near Tannirbavi off the city's shores, killing two, leaving 21 injured, with one reported missing
- Two top executives die in a walkway collapse while supervising the plant in UB Group's Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers (MCF) Ltd
- Sea erosion at Ullal takes a ferocious turn
- Artificial floods within the city inundate a number of houses
- Collapse of several houses and heavy loss of property reported
- Many low-lying areas under water
- Traffic and transport affected in several parts of two districts
If that was the story of in and around Mangalore, in upcountry Hassan, four persons died when a coconut tree fell on them.
In other places of Karnataka, the human toll as follows:
Bagalkot 7, Bangalore 1, Belgaum 3, Bijapur 3, Gulbarga 2, Raichur 7, Bellary, Koppal, Madikeri and Uttar Kannada one each.
In the neighbouring states, the toll was as high as 72.
A tree fell over an autorickshaw in Bangalore, killing a passenger (Pic Akash Poojari)
Irony of fate
Mangalore's Tannirbavi beach, a familiar and favourite haunt of tourists, became a theatre of cruel irony of destiny on the fateful day.
Mangalore is home to the Coast Guard command in Karnataka. It is well equipped with state-of-the art ships and equipment. The local command had monitored the Den Den ship, which was leaving the New Mangalore Port on Friday and was drifting away with the mad, furious force of the gales.
But the captain of the ship is said to have delayed the beaming of SOS message, until which stage, according to the rules, the Coast Guard cannot set the logistics into motion. The Coast Guard requisitioned helicopters from Goa and Kochi. The chopper from Goa could fly only up to Canacona and could not fly to Mangalore because of the bad weather. The chopper from Kochi had to beat a retreat and halt at Kannur. It was as if the fate of the ship had been sealed.
In spite of the far advanced technology and equipment available, the district officials, police and the thousands of people who gathered on the beach had to helplessly watch the ship sink and crew jump into the sea in the hope of safety. Nothing worked in the face of the fury of nature.
Since the wrecked ship was grounded too close to the coast, the Coast Guard ship could not go near it. However, a major and heroic role was played by the brave divers and swimmers of Bengare and Ullal whose efforts could be termed the only 'saving' grace. Otherwise there was a lot to learn about disaster management, in which department Mangalore seems to be falling short in many respects.
The Shattering Saturday: