7 people swept away in Karnataka’s Markonahalli dam; 2 bodies recovered, 4 missing

At least seven people were swept away by strong currents downstream of Markonahalli dam in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district on Tuesday. So far, two bodies have been recovered, while the search for the others is ongoing.

According to reports, the bodies have been identified as Abin and Sazia, while the missing include Tabassum (45), Shabana (44), a one-year-old boy named Mahim and a four-year-old girl named Mifra.

A man, Nawaz, was rescued with minor injuries after being found trapped in nearby bushes. He was admitted to Kunigal Taluk Hospital and later shifted to Adichunchanagiri Hospital.

According to Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Ashok KV, around 15 people from BG Palya of Tumakuru town had gone for a picnic at the dam. After meeting relatives at Magadipalya in Kunigal taluk, the group went on a sightseeing trip to Markonahalli reservoir. Seven of them, including women and children, were thrown into the water when the dam’s automatic siphon system suddenly released water, creating a powerful wave.

“The bodies of two women and one injured man, Nawaz, were found,” Ashok KV told news agency ANI.

“Rescue teams of police and fire department reached the spot soon after the incident. According to family members, four more people, two small children (one-year-old and four-year-old) and two adult women, fell into the stream. Beluru police station is registering the case, and further investigation will be conducted.”

#Watch Tumkur, Karnataka: Tumkur SP Ashok Venkat says, “Around 3:30 pm, a call came into the control room informing that a family of seven, who had gone for a picnic near Shimsha river, had drowned in the flowing river… bodies of two women and one injured… pic.twitter.com/yfayJI3JQD

– Ani (@ani) 7 October 2025

Preliminary information suggests that the reservoir’s automatic siphon system may have been unexpectedly activated, causing water to be released through the dam’s gates and causing a sudden surge that swept away the victims.

According to NDTV, dam engineers said the incident may have been caused by a sudden natural increase in water flow, although the exact cause of the siphon dropping will be investigated.

The recovered bodies have been kept at Adichunchanagiri Hospital for post-mortem. The search operation, which was temporarily halted after nightfall, resumed on Wednesday morning. A case has been registered at Kunigal police station, and senior officials have visited the spot to monitor the rescue and investigation efforts.