Karwar: Heavy monsoon rains have triggered a landslide at Devimane Ghat in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district, blocking traffic on National Highway 766E and disrupting connectivity between Sirsi and Kumta.
The incident took place on the Devimane Ghat section of Kumta taluk, where a part of the hillside fell away since there was continuous rainfall. Mud, rocks, and fallen trees were on the highway and blocked the traffic.
A motorcyclist narrowly escaped disaster when the landslide occurred just seconds before he came through the affected stretch of road. The biker escaped with his life by the whisker, witnesses said, and it is dangerous to travel on ghat roads during heavy rainfall.
The landslide has paralyzed the Sirsi-Kumta main highway. Vehicles on both sides of the road are stuck, and authorities are coming in and clearing the road of vehicles as it gets destroyed, and people are stranded.
A lot of earthmoving machinery was used to clear out the debris, fallen trees, and mud from the highway, the government said today. Restoration work is going to continue until commuters are safe to travel on the route and it is safe, officials said.
The weather conditions have been rainy, and heavy rain over the past few days has made the Western Ghats region vulnerable to landslides, with saturated soil increasing the risk of hill collapses. Drivers are advised to avoid unnecessary driving through ghat sections until weather conditions improve.
District administration has advised commuters to be aware of traffic advisories and take alternate routes if possible. Emergency teams are now monitoring vulnerable parts of Uttara Kannada to prevent further incidents.
Since the monsoon is still active across Karnataka, officials have appealed to residents and travellers to be careful when travelling through hilly terrain, where landslides and falling trees can occur without warning.
