Cyclone Tauktae: Heavy rains claim 4 lives in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Four persons died in isolated incidents across coastal and central Karnataka due to heavy rains and gusty winds triggered by Cyclone Tauktae during the last 24 hours, a weather official said on Sunday.

"The isolated incidents occurred since late Saturday in Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts, as heavy rains induced by the cyclone lashed the state," Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre head Sunil Gavaskar told IANS here.

In the first incident, a fisherman died near Karwar in Uttar Kannada, as he was towing his boat to the shore when another boat floating in the sea crashed on him from behind due to strong winds and heavy rains.

In the second incident, a farmer was electrocuted in his farmland near Udupi on the west coast when he came in contact with a live wire which fell in his field due to gusty wind amid heavy rain.

In the third incident, a middle-aged man died in Chikkamagaluru district when the tiled-roof house in which he was sleeping collapsed due to heavy rains.

In the fourth incident, a person died due to lightning in Shivamogga district in Malnad region while he was taking shelter under a shade during the rain.

"Though the eye of the cyclone was about 120km southwest of the coast over the Arabian Sea and moving towards northwest direction towards Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat on Sunday afternoon, depression and strong winds led to heavy rains in the state's coastal areas and Malnad region," said Gavaskar.

Moderate to heavy rains and gusty winds caused sea erosion on the west coast and inundated low-laying areas in the affected districts.

"About 120 houses were damaged in Dakshina Kannada district due to heavy rains since Saturday. The affected people were shifted to relief centres set up by the state government in the district," added Gavaskar.