Karnataka   

Portion of mini-hydel plant across river collapses, 6 killed

MANGALORE: Eight persons were killed in two separate rain-related incidents in Dakshina Kannada even as the Nethravati continued to flow above the danger mark following incessant rain in the district.

Six persons were killed when a mini-hydel power project under construction across the Nethravati collapsed at Neerukatte near Uppinangady, about 60 km from here, in the early hours of Wednesday. Two others were killed when a wall of a house collapsed in Jeppu area of Mangalore. At the power project site, several parts of the yet-to-be-inaugurated power plant had collapsed, along with part of the powerhouse building. A huge beam was dangling from its roof. Fire Services personnel were trying to extricate the bodies from the powerhouse even as a team of divers from Mangalore were on standby.

Venkateshwaralu, Project Engineer of the Bangalore-based Sagar Power Nirukatte Pvt. Ltd., which is constructing the 15 MW power project, told The Hindu that the retaining walls — one measuring 24.8 m and the other 20 m — collapsed because of heavy flow of water into the river, between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. The two walls were erected to prevent entry of water into the plant area. As a result, water gushed towards the power plant where six persons — two supervisors and four labourers — were working. Part of the power plant, being built at a cost of Rs. 65 crore, collapsed.

The Line Transmission in-charge of the project, Mohandas Rai, said three men were working in the control room and three in the powerhouse, which is about 20 metres below the surface. The bodies of three in the control room, who were identified as Venu (17), Ramakrishna (17) and Subbayya Reddy (37), were removed.

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