Daughters of missing priest quarantined

Their driver tested positive for virus

August 11, 2020 07:47 am | Updated 07:47 am IST - MYSURU

Search operation in progress at the site of the landslip at Bhagamandala in Kodagu on Monday.

Search operation in progress at the site of the landslip at Bhagamandala in Kodagu on Monday.

The two daughters of the priest of the Talacauvery temple, who is among the four persons missing following a landslip, have been quarantined as the driver, who ferried them from the airport to Madikeri, has tested positive for COVID-19.

In all five persons went missing in the landslip and the body of one has been recovered.

The daughters, who live abroad, arrived on Monday and were ferried from the airport to the town in taxi. They visited the site of the disaster and met the District in-charge Minister V. Somanna and others.

It transpired that the taxi driver tested positive following which the two daughters were advised to go into quarantine. Kodagu DHO K. Mohan, said the two are in quarantine in Bhagamandala.

Meanwhile, Kodagu and other regions of Malnad area got a reprieve from the rains for the second consecutive day enabling the authorities to shore up relief and rescue works.

Kodagu received 25.39 mm of rainfall as recorded at 8.30 a.m. on Monday and all the connecting roads are open to traffic. Water level at Bhagamandala and Talacauvery has completely receded and life in the district was limping back to normality. However, the search for the four missing persons did not yield any results and the operations will resume on Tuesday.

The Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said the 304 houses have been damaged owing to the rains in the district. The heavy rains has caused extensive damage to farming sector and horticultural crops, spread across 32,500 hectares, have been damaged.

The trail of destruction is widespread and 35.8 km of State highways, 26.78 km of district roads, 260.37 km of rural roads and 47 km of city roads have been damaged while 2,012 electricity poles have to be replaced.

There are nine relief centres in the district in which 506 people have sought shelter, according to the Deputy Commissioner.

Pending road repair works, the authorities have extended the ban on the movement of heavy vehicles, with an axle load of 16,200 and above, till August 31. In other regions, Chikkamagaluru district received 16 mm, Hassan 5 mm while Shivamogga received 31 mm for the 24 hour period ending 8.30 a.m. on Monday.

The inflow to the four dams have also receded as the rains have abated.

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