Karnataka reports alarming 515 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday; Udupi records 204 fresh cases
More than a thousand cases reported in last three days
Bengaluru: In an alarming development for the people of the state, Karnataka on Friday reported a whopping 515 fresh cases of deadly Corona Virus. This is the first time the state has recorded over 500 cases in a single day ever since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the state.
With this, the total number of cases in the state has climbed up to 4835, according to the latest health bulletin issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department on Friday evening. The state reported 515 cases between Thursday at 5 pm and Friday at 5 pm.
Udupi, which has repeatedly recorded a high number of cases in recent days, once again reported 204 cases, while Yadgiri report 74 fresh cases, Vijaypura reported 53, Kalaburagi reported 42, Bidar reported 39 fresh cases.
Belagavi registered 36 new cases, Mandya 13, Bengaluru Urban 10, Bengaluru Rural 12, Dakshina Kannada 8, Uttara Kannada 7. Hassan, Chikkaballapur, and Dharwad recorded three cases each, Ramnagar and Haveri reported two new cases each on Friday. Bellary, Bagalkote, and Kolar reported one new case each, the bulletin added.
With this, Karnataka has registered over a thousand cases in the last three days. On Wednesday, the state recorded 267 cases, on Thursday it recorded 237 new cases along with 515 on Friday.
Of the 4835 cases so far reported across the state, 1688 patients have recovered while 57 have succumbed to the deadly virus. 3088 active cases are currently being treated at the District Hospitals.
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Karnataka Lokayukta to register case, probe Bowring wall collapse
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Lokayukta Justice B S Patil on Thursday took serious note of the compound wall collapse at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in the city that killed seven people, and announced registration of a case on its own while warning of action against officials found responsible.
The Lokayukta, who visited the site and conducted an inspection, expressed strong displeasure over the incident and questioned the inaction of authorities, even as police and emergency teams had earlier rushed to the spot to rescue victims trapped under the debris following heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
“I will now register a suo motu case. This is not just about this one incident — such incidents must not occur anywhere in the state or the city in the future,” Justice Patil told reporters.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed as rain-battered victims had taken shelter near it, according to police. The victims included people from Kerala who were in the city on a study tour.
Calling for systemic accountability, the Lokayukta said, “Dilapidated buildings and weakened compound walls, especially in areas with public access, must first be identified. They must either be repaired, demolished, or rebuilt.”
He added that responsibility would be fixed on officials of the BBMP and the concerned departments.
Justice Patil said that hearings would be conducted and preventive action initiated, while also probing those responsible for it, how the incident could have been prevented, and why it was not prevented.
A Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team and a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also inspected the site, while police cordoned off Kovil Street to facilitate the probe.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the government had initiated measures following the rain-related incidents and stressed preparedness.
“Since last night we have initiated measures regarding the rains. When it rains heavily, we must be prepared, and we are working towards that,” he told reporters here.
On the wall collapse, Shivakumar said, “I will not directly blame any officials. It was an old wall, and trees had grown alongside it. Due to that pressure, it collapsed.”
The Deputy CM said instructions had been issued to identify such vulnerable structures and clear areas around them, including relocating street vendors.
Karnataka Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said a technical assessment had been ordered.
“This is a very serious matter. Innocent people have been affected. We are issuing directions to the engineers to find out why this compound wall collapsed and to assess its structural strength,” he told reporters after inspecting the spot.
The Minister noted that the wall was ‘very old’ and required thorough examination to prevent recurrence.
Speaking to reporters, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked the Karnataka government to take precautions to ensure that incidents like the collapse of the Bengaluru government hospital compound wall, which caused loss of life, should not repeat.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said the collapse raised questions about construction and maintenance practices.
“If a wall collapses within 25 years of its construction, it needs to be examined -- whether there was any technical issue, or if anything was altered inside, weakening it. All this can only come out through a technical investigation,” he said.
The Congress MLA also called for wider structural audits across the city, stating that all such structures, whether private or government, must be audited.
He urged citizens to support victims, saying it was a collective responsibility in times of crisis.
