Karwar (Karnataka): A seasonal food collection outing turned into a major catastrophe on Sunday as eight members of a single family, including seven women, drowned after being caught in fierce currents in the Tatte Hakkalu river, also known locally as the Venkatapura river, in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. Emergency rescue operations are actively underway along the riverbanks as disaster relief personnel, local police units, and village divers search for two additional individuals who remain missing in the volatile waters.
The fatal incident unfolded near Shirali village in the Bhatkal taluk, where a group of approximately 14 local residents had entered the riverbeds to gather freshwater mussels. Foraging for these bivalves represents a traditional, seasonal livelihood activity deeply integrated into the coastal and riverine communities of the region. Local authorities reported that the foraging party inadvertently waded into significantly deeper sections of the watercourse without accurately evaluating the depth or the underlying topography of the riverbed.
As the foraging group worked in the water, the local current suddenly intensified due to recent heavy rainfall across the upstream catchment areas, rapidly destabilizing the environment. When one or two individuals lost their footing and were swept away by the accelerating flow, several other family members instinctively plunged deeper into the river in a desperate bid to rescue them. This rapid succession of rescue attempts quickly overwhelmed the group, causing multiple family members to be pulled under by the powerful undercurrents.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed deep grief over the tragedy and announced an immediate solatium of five lakh rupees for the next of kin of each deceased victim. Medical teams confirmed that two women, identified as Nagaratna and Mahadevi, were successfully rescued from the river by local volunteers and have been hospitalized for urgent medical treatment. Local law enforcement officials have initiated a comprehensive inquiry to establish the precise sequence of events leading up to the structural drowning, while rescue teams continue utilizing mechanized boats and specialized diving gear to trace the remaining missing foragers.
