Two labourers die of drowning at Kesottu dam construction site

Mangalore Today News Network

Bantwal, June 29, 2012: Two of the labourers working on the vented dam in Kesottu in Pilimogaru were washed away by flash floods on the afternoon of June 28, Thursday.

The deceased are Sumathi Shetty (42), wife of Ashok Shetty of Paledamara, and Shekar Poojary (30) of Keldody Mijaru. While Shekar Poojary’s body has been found, Sumathi Shetty’s body is yet to be found.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reportedly, a group of nine workers, including Sumathi and Shekhar, were working at the construction site of the vented dam in Kesottu, Pilimogaru. They had been filling soil on either sides of the dam for the past 2 days. When Sumathi was crossing the dam on Thursday afternoon, the water suddenly began flowing with increased force and took Sumathi with it. Shekar Poojary, who tried to rescue her, was also washed away. Later, Shekar’s body was found about a kilometer from the dam construction site.

Since the water level was rising, search operations to retrieve Sumathi’s body were stopped for the time being. According to Mahesh Prasad, sub inspector of Bantwal rural police station, search will be resumed early in the morning of June 29, Friday.

Anand Nayak, tahsildar; MLA B. Ramanath Rai; Navinchandra Shetty, president of Chennaitthody GP; Nalini Shetty, ZP member; Ramesh Kudtumeru, TP member; Sudarshan Jain, chairman of Bantwal Land Bank; and police officers from the Bantwal rural police station, visited the construction site.