New Delhi/Kodagu (Karnataka), Aug 19 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of help in the rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit Kodagu district, said an official statement.

"Modi called up Kumaraswamy and assured him of all help in rescue and relief operations in flood-hit Kodagu district," said the statement from the Chief Minister's camp office at Madikeri, about 270 km from Bengaluru.

Kumaraswamy, who has been camping in the district since Saturday to supervise the operations, briefed Modi on the flood situation in the rain-hit district and how the Army, Navy and National Disaster Response Force were coordinating the efforts.

Modi earlier tweeted that he spoke to Kumaraswamy from New Delhi on the flood situation in the affected district.

"Extended all possible support in the rescue and relief operations. I pray for the safety and well-being of those in the flood affected areas," the Prime Minister said in a tweet.

Kumaraswamy also briefed President Ram Nath Kovind on the rescue work in the district when the latter called on him from New Delhi earlier in the day.

"The Chief Minister informed the President that the Indian Army, Navy and other state and central agencies have rescued over 3,500 people so far," the statement noted.

Around 4,225 marooned people were rescued till Sunday evening from towns and villages across the district despite incessant rains hampering the operation.

Of the rescued, 3,601 are staying in 36 relief shelters in the district and efforts were on to reach others stranded on hilltops.

Located in the southern Western Ghats mountain range, the coffee-growing district is the worst-hit by the monsoon rains since June's first week.

The incessant rains have caused flooding and landslips across the region, damaging the arterial roads.

 

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New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.

Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.

Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.

A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.

"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.

The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.

Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.

Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.

Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.

Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.

"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.

Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.