MANGALURU/BAGALKOT: Despite IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) clamping Red Alert in many districts of Karnataka following incessant rains, around 30 students of Manipal college in Udupi went on a trip to Badami only to be stranded in floods. The group of students were later rescued at Hosur bridge of Badami taluk in Bagalkot district.
The students were stranded near the bridge as water started inundating the structure. The group of students included the daughter of senior politician from Himachal Pradesh. According to one of the victims, who is now placed at shelter home, they started their trip in a bus from Bengaluru and reached near the bridge today. However, the girl refused to divulge as to when the students left Udupi on a tour. All the girls were rescued after they reached out to authorities for help. The bridge was built over Malaprabha river.
The Superintendent of Police, Lokesh Jagalasar talking to The New Indian Express said “the girls panicked after seeing river flooding the bridge. All the girls were evacuated to safety and placed at a village in Hosur. There is no need to worry.” He further said they will soon be sent out of Bagalkot boarders. The students, according to initial reports, hail from Department of Architecture and Design. The students were rescued at around 5 on Friday morning.
Deepika Shetty, director of the faculty said the tour bookings to Northern part of Karnataka was made a month ago and when the students started from Manipal around four days back there was no red alert. However, when rains increased, the institution asked the travel agency as to weather it is safe to continue the journey to which, the agency said there was no problem at all. “Now our concern is to bring them back. The department has made arrangements to transport them to Hubballi.