Man dies in Hassan after tree falls on him, locals blame forest officials

Local people have alleged that the forest officials did not remove the tree even after a petition was filed for the same a few days ago

The deceased was driving to his village when the tree fell on him, trapping him between its huge trunk and the bike. Despite local people’s help, he died on the spot after suffering in pain for about half an hour. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu photo library

A person died after a tree fell on a moving bike at Malekoplu on Channarayapatna-Baguru Road, Karnataka, on Sunday. Ranga Shetty, 40, of Kallesomanahalli in Channarayapatna taluk died on the spot after suffering in pain for about half an hour.

Shetty was on his way to Kallesomanahalli when the tree fell on him, trapping him between its huge trunk and the bike. Local people rushed to his help as he was struggling to come out and was in severe pain. They eventually employed the help of an earthmover to lift the tree, but by then he was no more.

Local people have blamed the negligence of the Forest Department for the death. They alleged that the forest officials did not remove the tree even after a petition was filed for the same a few days ago. The protesters blocked traffic on the Channarayapatna-Baguru road for some time.

On weekdays, they said, schoolchildren would wait for their bus standing under that tree. Since the incident occurred on Sunday, no children were present. Otherwise many would have suffered, the protesters said.