28-year-old Karthik of G. Bommanahalli dies as tree falls on van in Mandya; two friends have a providential escape

Mandya: Heavy rain has wreaked havoc in the town claiming the life of a youth and bringing down several trees and electric poles.

Karthik (28), son of Ramaiah of G. Bommanahalli in the taluk is the deceased. He along with his friends Sunil and Cheeranahalli Manju had come to the town in a van, to buy clothes for his birthday. Around 9 pm, a tree at the curve near the hospital on 100 Feet Road fell on the van, following heavy rain and wind. Though passersby rushed to their help, Karthik who was trapped inside the mangled vehicle was killed on the spot, while two others had a providential escape.

Mandya East Police rushed to the spot and shifted the body of Karthik to the mortuary of                   Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS). 

Mandya MLA Ganiga Ravikumar, who visited the mortuary,  provided financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh from his pocket to the family members of the deceased.

The downpour started on Monday night and lasted for several hours till the early hours of Tuesday, with trees falling on houses and cars on the roads. As a precautionary measure, the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (Cesc) Limited had disconnected power supply on Monday night itself.

The road users had to bear the brunt as most of the roads including Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway,  Vivekananda Double Road, 100 Feet Road, Bannur Road,  DC Office Road to name a few were partially closed with the trees falling on the stretch of these roads.

The Mandya City Municipal Council (CMC) along with CESC undertook restoration works, clearing the uprooted trees which went up till Tuesday evening.

The public vented their anguish on Forest Department and CMC for failing in the maintenance of fully grown trees the roots of which are weak, by not taking up any measures to either prune or cut the branches extending to the road.

Whenever there is heavy rain and wind, the rickety branches fall resulting in damages to human life, public and private properties.

The farmers also had to feel the pinch, as the heavy rain partially damaged crops in the rural areas of the district.