Rain recedes in Kodagu, 6,603 people in camps, missing 8 yet to be traced

Mysuru: After six days of heavy rainfall, the intensity reduced in Kodagu on Sunday but as many as 79 places (including 12 new places) remained flooded on Sunday. Two more relief centres were started and 1,972 people were shifted to these places.

In all, there are 6,603 people now in 42 relief centres in Kodagu, including 12 in Madikeri, 7 in Somwarpet taluk and 23 in Virajpet taluk.

Though search operations continued on Sunday too, there was no clue on the whereabouts of eight people including an eight month pregnant woman who are suspected to be buried under mud after four to five houses collapsed due to landslides on Friday at Tora region in Heggala village of Virajpet taluk. Virajpet MLA Mr K.G. Bopaiah who was on an inspection was also stuck at the place for a while.

Meanwhile, 240 more people and six more cows were rescued on Sunday.

The 79 places which remain flooded including 30 villages in Madikeri, 32 villages in Virajpet taluk, four in Somwarpet taluk, five layouts in Kushalnagar and eight in Virajpet. As many as 26 roads including SH 91, Konanooru-Virajpet-Maakutta connecting Kerala are affected due to landslides, tree falls and floods and remain blocked. Kodagu recorded 60.68 mm of rainfall from 8.30am on Saturday to 8.30am on Sunday.

After Mamatha (40) and her daughter Likitha (15) died due in a landslide at Tora region in Heggala village in Virajpet taluk, a video went viral in which their family claimed that some people had demanded Rs 8000 for the cremation of each body. The DC of Kodagu Annies Kanmani Joy sought a report from the jurisdictional tahsildar and later clarified to the media that when the family members went to the crematorium, they had to break open the lock and enter the place. Some people demanded money from Mamatha's husband Paramesh to make arrangements for the cremation but he refused and managed to cremate the bodies himself.