Flood situation worsens in Karnataka, one dead
Bengaluru: One person was killed while scores of houses collapsed in parts of Karnataka as the flood situation worsened in the southern state on Tuesday. Schools were shut and bus and train services cancelled due to the heavy downpour, coupled with water released from dams in neighbouring Maharashtra, official sources said.
Belagavi bore the brunt as water from the Koyna dam in neighbouring Maharashtra gushed into the Krishna river.
According to police, a 25-year-old man was killed at Hoskote in Bylahongal taluk of Belagavi district when the wall of his house crashed on him. Besides the Krishna river, the Markandeya, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha and Bheema rivers are in spate, wreaking havoc in many parts of the state. Water from the Markandeya river gushed into Gokak and Hukkeri in Belagavi, reports said.
The districts hit due to the torrential rains and subsequent flooding are Belagavi, Vijayapura, Yadgiri, Raichur, Bagalkot, Hubballi-Dharwad, Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kananda, Kodagu and Uttara Kannada.
Landslips were reported from some affected districts, leading to disruption in the road and rail networks.
Many schools were shut in Hubballi-Dharwad, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Mangaluru, Udupi, Vijayapura, Yadgiri, Raichur and Kodagu, official sources said.
The gates of the barrages and the Almatti dam built across the Krishna river and its tributories in Karnataka were opened due to heavy inflows. While thousands of hectares of land have been submerged, the National Highway-4 from Pune to Bengaluru was cut off at Belagavi.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) cancelled many buses from Belagavi to Pune. The huge inflow into the Krishna river forced the Basava Sagara dam authorities in Vijayapura to open 21 of its 31 gates, official sources said.
Train services were also hit due to the floods. In a statement, the South Western Railway said services between Londa and Tinai Ghat stands suspended till the situation returns to normal.
A defence spokesperson said 15 Army columns from Dakshin Bharat area, each comprising 60 jawans, besides NDRF, SDRF, police and home guards have been deployed for rescue and rehabilitation work.
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Delhi-bound Air India flight carrying MPs diverted due to snag, Venugopal says it was 'harrowing'
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader and Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee K C Venugopal has claimed that an Air India flight carrying him and several other MPs from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi "came frighteningly close to tragedy".
In a statement, the airline said that Air India flight AI2455, flying from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, was diverted to Chennai on Sunday evening due to a technical issue.
In a post on X on Sunday night, Venugopal said, "Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi -- carrying myself, several MPs and hundreds of passengers -- came frighteningly close to tragedy today."
"What began as a delayed departure turned into a harrowing journey. Shortly after take-off, we were hit by unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later, the Captain announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai...
"For nearly two hours, we circled the airport awaiting clearance to land, until a heart-stopping moment during our first attempt -- another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway. In that split second, the Captain's quick decision to pull up saved every life on board. The flight landed safely on the second attempt," he said.
"We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck. I urge @DGCAIndia and @MoCA_GoI to investigate this incident urgently, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again," the Congress leader wrote.
Responding to Venugopal on X, Air India said, "We would like to clarify that the diversion to Chennai was precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions."
"A go-around was instructed by Chennai ATC (air traffic control) during the first attempted landing at Chennai airport, not because of the presence of another aircraft on the runway ... Our pilots are well-trained to handle such situations, and in this case, they followed standard procedures throughout the flight," Air India claimed.
"We understand that such an experience can be unsettling and regret the inconvenience the diversion may have caused to you. However, safety is always our priority," the airline added.
The flight AI2455, operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, was airborne for more than two hours, according to information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
"The flight crew of AI2455 operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on August 10 made a precautionary diversion to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue and given the weather conditions en route," the airline said in a statement earlier.
Air India said the flight landed safely in Chennai, where the aircraft will undergo the necessary checks.
Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destinations at the earliest, Air India said, and regretted the inconvenience caused.
Details about the number of passengers were not available.
The flight took off a little past 8 pm from Thiruvananthapuram and landed in Chennai at around 10.35 pm, according to Flightradar24.com.
In recent weeks, there have been instances of Air India's aircraft facing technical snags.
