Rain wreaks havoc in Bantwal; lighting kills teenager, 60 houses damaged

[email protected] (CD Network | Photos by Suman)

May 11, 2015

Bantwal, May 11: Heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightning lashed the Bantwal taluk in coastal Karnataka on Monday evening, claiming the life of a teenager who was killed in lightning.

Aboobakar Siddeeq, son of Mohammed Yusuf and Katheejamma couple from Aaladka near Panemangaluru village, died after he was struck by a lightning bolt. The tragedy took place at around 4:30 p.m. when he was standing under a mango tree to protect himself from heavy rain.

Even though he was rushed to a hospital immediately, doctors pronounced him brought dead.

Vaneetha, daughter of Susheela, resident of Kadeshwalya village is critically injured and admitted to a private hospital in Kalladka.

Over 60 houses were damaged, and several people suffered injuries in rain related mishaps across Bantwal taluk in Dakshina Kannada.

Power supply and telephone connections were disrupted due to the rains. The lightning also damaged a few buildings in different parts of the taluk.

Dozens of trees and electric poles were uprooted due to heavy cyclonic storm across the taluk.

A Mangaluru-Subrahmanya train was cancelled after a huge tree fell on Mangaluru-Bengaluru railway track at Kuppila near B Mooda village.

Lightning strike also damaged a minaret of Masjid at Tapady near BC Road. Over 20 houses around the Masjid also were damaged slightly.

Meanwhile, the heavy rain caused traffic jam at BC Road.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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