20,000 people marooned in Tripura; 7 K'taka fishermen missing

New Delhi, May 29 (UNI) South-West monsoon left 20,000 people marooned in Tripura, while eight people were killed and six others injured by lightning in Jharkhand and eight fishermen went missing following incessant rain in coastal Karnataka overnight with the body of one recovered so far.

In Tripura, many areas of the capital Agartala and other parts of the state were inundated following heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours.

Official sources said over 20,000 people had been marooned and food was being distributed among them. Several kuchha houses had collapsed due to the rainfall. A 65-year-old woman died when the boundary wall of her house collapsed at Sabroom in South Tripura district.

The sources said low-lying areas of Agartala, Bishalgarh, Belonia, Sabroom, Kailashahar and Sonamura were inundated due to incessant rainfall over the past few days.

They said boats were pressed into service at several places to shift the marooned people to safer places.

In Jharkhand, at least eight people died and six others were injured when lightning struck in separate places during the last 24 hours.

Six persons of a family died and two others were injured when lightning struck near their house at Chandipur-Charkanda under Shahebganj district. A woman died in Mangder while another person died while working in the fields at Gangetola.

In coastal Karnataka, the body of one of the eight fishermen, who had been reported missing after venturing into the sea from Malpe in Udupi district, was recovered today, while about 400 fishing boats were stranded in the waters as the sea was rough following incessant rain.

Medical Education Minister V S Acharya told UNI that the body was recovered at Kodikanyana near Kundapura in Udupi district.

Efforts were on to trace the other seven missing persons, who had set sail in four boats yesterday, he added.

Announcing Rs one lakh ex-gratia to next of kin of the deceased, he said it had been decided to station a rescue ship permanently at Malpe Fisheries harbour for rescue operations.

The Coast Guard helicopter, which was pressed into service to trace the fishermen, had returned.

In Goa, two aircraft were kept in readiness in Goa even as two extra fast patrol vessels from New Mangalore Port and one from Kochi rushed to Malpe port in the West coast where the fishing vessels were stranded. Deputy Inspector General R M Sharma commanding the Goa Coast Guard told UNI he had also alerted the state administration to direct the fishermen not to venture into the sea for at least four days due to the prevailing rough weather.

In the national capital, cool South Easterly winds continued to bring relief from sultry weather with mercury dropping to 39.0 Degrees C, two degrees below normal. The minimum temperature too registered a drop to 25 Degrees C from 27.4 Degrees C on Saturday, while the humidity levels rose to a high of 68 per cent.

UNI Team PK HS1901