Rains claim 13 lives: Rs 1 lakh compensation announced

Bangalore, Mar 24 (UNI) Unseasonal heavy rains lashing Karnataka for the past five days has claimed 13 lives and Governor Rameshwar Thakur today announced a compensation of Rs one lakh each to the kin of the dead.

The Governor said in a release that certain districts of the state were witnessing heavy rains from March 20 and some districts had suffered loss of human life apart from animal deaths, crop loss and damage to houses.

''Thirteen persons have lost their lives and many houses collapsed in heavy rains,'' he added.

He reviewed the situation along with his advisors and senior officers and said compensation should be paid expeditiously.

The unprecedented rainfall had destroyed standing crops of jowar, paddy, coffee and banana.

In Gulbarga district, state highways were damaged and several houses were inundated.

The Meteorological Department predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the next 48 hours in many parts of the state due to a low pressure formed over the Arabian sea.

Since last five days, Karkala in Dakshina Kannada received 32 cm, followed by Bantwal in the same district with 25 cm.

While in Raichur and Gulbarga, the death toll was put at four each, it was two in Belgaum, one each in Dharwad, Bijapur and Udupi.

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