Four women meet watery grave as car falls into VC Canal

Three of deceased from Goravanahalli in T. Narasipur taluk, another from Gamanahalli in Srirangapatna taluk; youth driving car miraculously survives

Mysore/Mysuru: Close on the heels of a man meeting his watery grave at Visvesvaraya Canal (VC Canal) in Mandya district after his car plunged into the canal recently, four women, including a woman and her daughter, met a similar end at Gamanahalli near Arakere in Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya last night.

The deceased are identified as Rekha (35), wife of C. Basavaraju and her daughter Sanjana (18), Mamatha (40), wife of Mallesh from Goravanahalli, T. Narasipur taluk, Mysuru district and their relative Mahadevamma (50) of Gamanahalli in Mandya district.

While 25-year-old Manoj, son of the deceased Mamatha, who was driving the car, miraculously survived in the incident. He has been admitted at Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) Hospital.

The tragedy struck when the four were travelling to their relative’s house at Doddamulagudu where they had planned to stay overnight, to attend the religious rituals at Kalabhyraveshwara Temple at Adhichunchanagiri in Nagamangala taluk in Mandya today early morning.

The three among the deceased, who started in a car from Goravanahalli, had picked up Mahadevamma from Gamanahalli who too met the tragic end in the accident. Manoj, who was at the wheels, lost control while negotiating a curve before veering off the road and plunging into the canal after hitting the metal crash barrier at Gamanahalli that shares the border with T. Narasipurtaluk.

It is said that, Manoj who was speedily driving the car in the narrow road, turned the steering towards his left, only to plough the vehicle directly into the canal. According to another version, Manoj was blinded by the headlight of a vehicle coming from the opposite direction that led to the accident.