Five feared washed away as landslide hits Uttara Kannada's Ankola

Karwar (Uttara Kannada): Heavy rains continued to wreak havoc in Uttara Kannada district on Tuesday as a portion of a hill collapsed on National Highway 66 near Shirur village in Ankola taluk. Five people, who were standing next to a tea stall on the stall on the banks of the Gangavali River, were suspected to have been washed away in the river after the landslide. However, the district administration has, so far, not confirmed the incident.

Sources in the village informed DH that the search operations for the missing persons continue. However, the overflowing river is hampering the rescue work. Two water tankers were also washed away in Gangavali river in the landslide.

The Deputy Commissioner K Lakshmipriya has instructed the local administration to evacuate villages on the banks of river Gangavali after the two gas tankers were washed away in the river. The administration suspects gas leakage from the tankers that are floating in the river. A mudslide was also reported at Rama temple near Ramatirtha in Gokarna taluk. Although the temple has not been affected much by the mudslide, more than 200 metre of mud and debris have blocked the road leading to the temple. The district has been receiving heavy rain from Monday night. Several roads, including National Highway 776-E and National Highway 66, have submerged due to inundation of water.Landslides and landslips are being reported at multiple locations on this four-lane highway resulting in traffic jams at several locations.

Movement of traffic was affected for some time on National Highway 69 that connects Honnavar and Bengaluru after the landslide. The debris was cleared after hours of efforts and the road is now operational.

(Source: DH)