Electric spark causes fire in shed, kills 14 cows in Haveri

Haveri: Over 12 cows were burnt alive after an electric short circuit triggered a fire in a cattle shed in Kanavalli village, Haveri taluk on Thursday night. The cattle belonged to Parameshappa Somappa Jadar of Kanavalli village. The incident took place in front of the govt Urdu primary school in Mehboob Nagar.A case was registered at Guttal police station. Despite the stormy weather on Thursday evening, Parameshappa returned home with milk as usual. Later, strong winds caused power lines near the cattle shed to come in contact, sparking a fire that spread to the shed and nearby corn storage.Locals tried to extinguish the fire but failed to do so until the fire brigade arrived and put out the blaze. Animals in the shed were completely consumed by the fire. Cattle rearing was Jadar's primary occupation and he took care of his animals. He lives with his wife and children and recently arranged his daughter's marriage through loans.This incident left his family in tears. Each cow was valued between Rs 50,000 and Rs 70,000. Four tractor loads of corn was also burnt, with locals estimating the loss to be between Rs 8 to 10 lakh. While 14 cows perished in the fire, one calf survived. Witnesses said that when Parameshappa went home with milk, the calf drank some milk and wandered out of the shed. They said that although the cows were engulfed in flames, the calf stood silently after losing its mother.Officials, including assistant director of animal husbandry Dr Parameshappa Hubballi, Belavigi veterinary hospital chief Dr Vijaykumar Halkatti, Karjagi officer Basavaraj Doddamani, Kanavalli veterinary hospital examiner Bharamappa Kattiger, and village administration officer Basangouda Gowdar, visited the site for inspection.MLA Rudrappa Lamani expressed condolences over the phone. Former chief minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai urged the state govt to provide appropriate compensation to Parameshappa Somappa Jadar, citing the immense loss caused by the accidental fire that claimed over 12 cows.Photo: Cows died after a fire caught the cattle shed in Kanavalli village of Haveri taluk on Thursday night