10 of family drown while collecting clams off Bhatkal coast

Karwar: Ten members of a family drowned after being swept away by strong currents while collecting clams off Alvekodi Beach in Bhatkal taluk of Uttara Kannada district on Sunday. One person is still missing while three have been hospitalised. Fourteen members of the extended family from Shirali village had entered the backwaters around 10 am to collect clams, a seasonal activity commonly practised by local communities along riverbanks and coastal areas during low tide. "They had moved deeper into the water when the current suddenly intensified. A couple of women were dragged into the deeper end, following which several others jumped in to rescue those struggling in the water. However, they too were caught in the strong current. Many of them did not know how to swim," police said. Sources added that the group had been warned about the possibility of high tide in the afternoon. The tragedy occurred around 2pm. According to Bhatkal police, heavy rain late on Saturday night had increased the river's flow, while rough sea conditions and high waves are suspected to have caused a sudden rise in the water level. Authorities were yet to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the tragedy.Rescue personnel, police teams and local residents were continuing search operations in the river."Many of those involved in the incident are familiar with clam collection and have done it before too," sources said. Mourning the tragedy, Siddaramaiah announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each victim. In a post on 'X', Siddaramaiah said he was deeply distressed to learn about the "extremely tragic and painful incident" and prayed for the departed souls.The deceased are Malati Jattappa Naik (38), Lakshmi Madeva Naik (40), Lakshmi Shivarama Naik (40), Lakshmi Annappa Naik (50), Umesh Manjunath Naik (25), Lakshmi Madheva Naik (40), Jyoti Nagappa Naik (38), and Mastamma Manjunath Naik (45), Manjamma Gotsa Naik, 50, and Nagaratna Parameshwar Naik, 40. Madev Jattappa Naik, 52, is missing..