Yogi led Hindu Yuva Vahini’s barbarism triggers alarm bells in BJP

Mangaluru, June 11: The southwest monsoon has intensified in Karnataka after a brief pause, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue alerts across multiple districts. Widespread heavy rainfall is expected to continue until June 14, particularly in coastal and interior regions.

A red alert—indicating extremely heavy rainfall—has been issued for nine districts: Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, and Shivamogga.

An orange alert is in place for Vijayapura, Mysuru, Hassan, Davanagere, Koppal, Raichur, and Gadag, warning of very heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, a yellow alert—signaling moderate rain—has been declared for Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Kolar, Mandya, Ramanagara, and Tumakuru.

On Tuesday night, several parts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, were hit by heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightning. Notable areas that experienced significant downpours include Aurad, Bidar, Bargur, Annigere, Humnabad, Chittapur, Chitgoppa, Sira, Davanagere, Maddur, Gubbi, Jagalur, Hiriyur, Indi, Bhalki, Sedam, Karkala, Mangaluru, Bantwal, Kundapur, and JKVK.

The IMD notes that rainfall had decreased following the initial monsoon onset but has surged again since June 10. The forecast anticipates:

Coastal Karnataka: Rain from June 12 to 16

North Karnataka: Rain from June 12 to 15

South Interior Karnataka: Rain from June 15 to 16

Residents are advised to stay alert and follow local advisories, especially in red and orange alert zones.

Mangaluru, June 10: Eighteen crew members rescued from the blaze-hit Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 were safely brought ashore at the Indian Coast Guard berth of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) late Monday night. 

However, four of the crew members continue to remain missing. The rescue, carried out by Indian Naval Ship INS Surat, came in the wake of a massive fire triggered by a container explosion onboard the ship while it was navigating the Arabian Sea, approximately 78 nautical miles off the Beypore coast in Kerala.

Key developments:

•    The MV Wan Hai 503, a 270-metre-long container vessel, departed Colombo on June 7 and was en route to Mumbai when the incident occurred. An explosion in one of the containers reportedly caused a fire, resulting in 20 containers falling into the sea. 

•    Some of these containers are believed to be carrying dangerous cargo, including flammable and toxic materials, raising environmental and safety concerns.

•    The fire-struck vessel is currently being monitored closely amid efforts to control the blaze and prevent further environmental damage. Authorities confirmed that specialised response teams are en route to manage the hazardous materials on board.

•    Of the 18 rescued, two crew members are reported to be in critical condition, four suffered minor injuries, and a dozen others are being treated for psychological trauma. The injured were taken to AJ Hospital in Kuntikana, Mangaluru. 

•    The missing crew members include nationals from Taiwan, Indonesia, and Myanmar. There were no Indian nationals among the crew. 

•    The search and rescue operations are ongoing, involving Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships, as well as aircraft from Kochi and Mangaluru.

•    According to officials, the critically wounded were stabilized onboard the naval vessel before being transferred under close medical supervision upon arrival. “The critically injured were stabilised onboard INS Surat, and shifted on arrival under close medical supervision. Immediate evacuation was our priority,” a Coast Guard official told reporters, as per a report on PTI.

Port workers at Panambur described the emotional scenes as injured sailors—many visibly shaken—disembarked, some whispering prayers and others frantically asking for news about missing shipmates.

Mangaluru, June 15: Incessant rains continued to batter Dakshina Kannada on Sunday, triggering multiple landslides and causing widespread disruption to traffic and daily life across the district.

A significant landslide occurred adjacent to National Highway 169 at Kethikal in Thiruvail village near Vamanjoor, depositing a large volume of soil on the right side of the highway. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) promptly deployed teams to the site. Cleanup operations are currently underway, and precautionary traffic diversions have been put in place to maintain vehicular movement. Fortunately, no major damage or injuries were reported.

The Kethikal area has previously been identified as vulnerable, with similar incidents reported during last year’s monsoon. In response, the authorities had initiated soil-nailing measures and planned the construction of a gabion wall to stabilize the slope and prevent future landslides. Despite these efforts, the recurrence has raised fresh concerns about long-term solutions.

Meanwhile, another landslide affected the Jokatte–Padil section of the railway line, leading to slower train movement in the region as a precautionary measure.

In Kankanady's Naguri area, a minor landslide impacted residential zones, threatening at least 12 houses. Authorities evacuated the affected families to safer locations. Dramatic CCTV footage capturing the collapse of a massive compound wall at Suvarna Lane in Kankanady quickly went viral on social media, amplifying public concern.

Flash flooding was also reported in Pandeshwara’s Shivanagara 4th Cross, where residents struggled through knee-deep water, adding to the growing list of monsoon-related woes.

The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) recorded alarming rainfall figures over a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 AM on Sunday:

Pudu Gram Panchayat (Mangaluru taluk): 189.5 mm

Neerumarga: 180.5 mm

Meramajalu: 174 mm

Bala Gram Panchayat: 165.5 mm

Patrame: 162.5 mm

Amtadi: 159.5 mm

Badagabelluru: 150 mm

Officials are closely monitoring vulnerable areas, and emergency teams remain on alert as forecasts predict continued rainfall in the coming days.