Youths, relying on Google Maps, drive vehicle into river in Kasaragod; rescued
Kasaragod: Two youths, who were on their way to a hospital using Google Maps to find their way, drove their car into a swollen river but had a miraculous escape as the vehicle got stuck to a tree in Kerala's northernmost Kasaragod district.
The visuals of Fire Force personnel pulling them to safety from the overflowing river in Pallanchi here the other day went viral on social media platforms on Sunday.
They could escape and contact the Fire Force personnel only because their vehicle, which was carried away by the water currents, got stuck in a tree.
The rescued youths said they were on their way to a hospital in neighbouring Karnataka in the wee hours the other day and were proceeding using Google Maps.
Abdul Rasheed, one of the youths, said Google Maps showed a narrow road and they drove their car through it.
"Using the vehicle's headlight, we felt that there was some water in front of us. But, we didn't see that there was a river on both sides and a bridge in the middle. There was also no sidewall for the bridge," he told a TV channel.
The car suddenly began to get carried away in the water currents but later got stuck in a tree on the shores of the river.
By this time, they managed to open the car door, come out of the vehicle and contacted the Fire Force personnel by sending them the location.
Later, Fire Force personnel rushed to the place and pulled out the two men to safety using ropes.
"We never thought that we could come back to life. We truly feel that it is a rebirth," Rasheed added.
Last month, a group of tourists from Hyderabad drove into a swollen stream near Kuruppanthara in Kottayam apparently after using Google Maps.
All four managed to escape unharmed due to the efforts of a nearby police patrol unit and local residents, but their vehicle was completely submerged.
Two #Kanhangad natives had a narrow escape on the #Pallanchi Forest road in #Kasaragod's #Kuttikol after their car fell into a river early morning on Thursday.
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) June 27, 2024
The passengers M Abdul Rashid (35) and A Thashreef (36) said they met with the accident at 6 AM while heading towards a… pic.twitter.com/SMmJ58UBq3
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Karnataka CM, political leaders remember Saroja Devi as 'Abhinaya Saraswati'
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and several political leaders have expressed grief over the death of veteran South Indian actress B Saroja Devi, remembering her as "Abhinaya Saraswati", as she was fondly addressed.
Saroja Devi died on Monday at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. She was 87.
She has worked in over 200 Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi films.
Siddaramaiah, in his condolence message posted on X, said her departure is a great loss to the Indian cinema.
"The news of the death of veteran Kannada actress B Saroja Devi is painful. She acted in about 200 Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada language films and was known as Abhinaya Saraswati," he said.
When we think of Saroja Devi, her soulful performances in films like Kittur Chennamma, Babruvahana, Anna Thangi come to mind, he said. She entertained moviegoers for decades.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, also on X, "A loving farewell to Abhinaya Saraswathi."
"The news of the demise of senior Kannada actress B Saroja Devi, popularly known as Abhinaya Saraswathi, is painful. She acted in five languages and served the film industry for 6 decades," he said.
Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, expressing grief, said her passing away is an irreparable loss not only to Kannada but also to the entire Indian cinema.
Stating that Saroja Devi was recognized as one of the greatest actresses of the Indian film industry, former CM Basavaraj Bommai said, "She had acted in many mythological and historical films and was a household name among Kannadigas. Her portrayal of Kittur Chennamma is still remembered by everyone."
Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards were sought after for her achievements, he said.
