Villagers fear car with 4 occupants washed away

BELAGAVI: Residents of Santibastwad village in Belagavi taluk have said they saw a car with four occupants being washed away on Tuesday from a bridge in the village. The incident occurred as the group was trying to pass through a flooded stretch of a road in their vehicle, villagers informed the rural police, which launched a search operation along with fire personnel on Wednesday. The police have said that it was not a vehicle that the villagers may have seen, but an uprooted shed of a shop.

According to locals, a black car that came from Visvesvaraya Technological University attempted to cross an overflowing bridge. They screamed and warned the passengers that the road was not safe, but the “car kept going that way”.

The car had hardly entered the bridge when the strong currents overturned the car and it got washed away in the Nala.Another local Suresh suspected that the vehicle was a milk van, as he spotted milk cans falling from the vehicle when it overturned, which is contradictory to the statement given by the residents.

Maha had refused to release water
Belagavi: After denying 4 tmcft of water to Karnataka in May and June, the Maharashtra government released about 50 tmcft of water in the last two weeks, though it was not needed. The release of about 40 tmcft of water from Maharashtra into Krishna river in Karnataka in the past two weeks has caused disastrous floods across North Karnataka causing massive loss of property and crops.

‘Belagavi rescue ops tougher than Kerala’s’
Belagavi: With the evacuation of people from flood-hit areas of Belagavi district turning dangerous and risky due to the rise in the level of Krishna river, about 20 columns of Indian army and para commandoes also have been brought in for the rescue operations. According to Brigadier Govind Kalwad of Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre, the evacuation of affected people in Belagavi is extremely tougher. “Evacuation of people in Kerala was easier as the flooded water was stagnant there. But in the flood-hit Belagavi villages, the rescue teams have to be cautious as they have to evacuate people from gushing flood waters,’’ he said.