MANGALURU: Heavy rains lashing the coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka snapped road connectivity and downed mobile signals at various parts on Thursday.
More than 50 vehicles heading towards Dakshina Kannada have been stranded at Nammar near Sringeri as the Tunga river is in spate. The stranded vehicles include a Durgamba bus which had left Davanagere on Wednesday night to reach Mangaluru on Thursday morning.
The family members of the bus passengers were anxious as they could not reach them over phone. Chikkamagaluru SP K Annamailai said the mobile towers are down in the region as power source has run dry.
However, he said the stranded vehicles are safe and will continue to its destination once the rain subsides. Sringeri police are at the spot. The area around Sringeri temple is submerged and the waters has reached till the approaching steps of the temple.
Vehicular traffic was disrupted on Mangaluru-Sringeri highway due to a tree fall.
Traffic on Venuru-Moodbidri-Guruvayanakere road was shut as Phalguni river is in spate as well. Several low lying areas in Belthangady are submerged. Schools and colleges have been shut in Belthangady, Puttur and Sulliataluks on Thursday.
Mangaluru city is also witnessing heavy rains.