Three farm workers died and three were washed away in the Tungabhadra Right Bank High Level Canal (RBHLC) after an autorickshaw in which they were travelling fell into the canal near Kolagallu village in Ballari district on Wednesday. Five workers managed to escape with minor injuries.
The deceased were identified as 40-year-old Ningamma, 33-year-old Durugamma and 15-year-old Pushpavathi, all residents of Kolagallu village in Ballari taluk.
Pushpavathi, a student, died in hospital and the two women, Ningamma and Durugamma, died on the spot.
Three workers, 25-year-old Kuditini Huligemma, 33-year-old M.K. Mallamma and 18-year-old Nagaratna, were washed away in the canal current.
Huligemma was the wife of the auto driver Edigara Bhima and Nagaratna was a PU student.
Dammur Erremma, Hemavathi, Shilpa and Mahesh, along with Edigara Bhima, were rescued, with minor injuries.
As per information provided by the villagers, the auto started with 21 workers, including children and women, to a field of Tamati Gaviyappa in the morning.
After travelling about 2 km on the bund of the Tungabhadra Right Bank High Level Canal, it dropped 10 workers at a field and started with the others to another field. A few minutes later, the auto fell into the canal.
Mahesh, a boy travelling in the vehicle, was the first to jump out of the auto and escaped.
As the auto fell into the canal, a woman, Saraswathi, who was having food in a nearby field, rushed to the spot and rescued Shilpa and Hemavathi with the help of her sari.
Another farmer, Sanna Doddappa, rushed to the site and saved two more persons, Dammur Erremma and Pushpavathi (who later died in hospital).
As the news reached them, Ballari Rural Police and Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the spot and began rescue operation.
Superintendent of Police Saidulu Adavath, Additional Deputy Commissioner P.S. Manjunath, Mayor Rajeshwari Subbaraidu, former parliamentarian J. Shanta and others visited the spot.
District in-charge Minster B. Sriramulu has, in a media release, condoled the death of the workers and assured all help and compensation from the government.
“At the time of the accident, there were 11 people in the auto, including the driver. Three died, three were washed away and five people have been rescued,” Mr. Adavath told The Hindu.
