Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi

Udupi, Aug 30: Amidst a red alert, Udupi district witnessed heavy rain throughout Friday, bringing normal life to a standstill. The downpour started in the morning and continued till afternoon, followed by moderate showers into the night. Students faced inconvenience as schools remained open despite the incessant rain.

Several parts of the district including Padubidri, Kaup, Shirva, Manipal, Hiriyadka, Udupi, Malpe, Kota, Kundapur, Byndoor, and Karkala received heavy rainfall.

In Udupi city, continuous rain led to a day-long power outage. A huge tree fell on an electric pole at the Indrali crematorium, disrupting the line breaker connecting Manipal to Udupi. Many residents expressed frustration as repeated calls to the MESCOM office went unanswered. MESCOM staff worked from morning, repairing the lines and installing new poles and wires. Power was briefly restored after 5 pm, but a technical snag led to another disruption. Officials later confirmed the problem was resolved.

Meanwhile, in Belapu village near Kaup, a tragic incident was reported when the wall of a house collapsed in Malam Goli locality on Friday morning. The mishap left house owner Shobha Poojarthi (55) seriously injured. She was trapped under stones and debris while resting on a couch. Her husband Ramesh and daughter Rashmi, who were in another room, rushed to her rescue, with neighbours joining in after hearing the loud crash. Shobha was later shifted to Manipal Hospital for treatment.