Fresh violence broke out in curfew-bound Mangalore when a mob attacked and torched an ambulance at Polali-Addoor about 15 kms from the city on Saturday evening.
The attack on the ambulance led to clashes that left one person dead and six persons seriously injured.
This is the second death in the two-day spell of communal violence that has rocked the coastal city, some 350 kms from Karnataka's capital Bangalore. More that 100 people have been injured and 300 people have been arrested in the violence.
Earlier, the district's guardian minister Nagaraj Shetty told a press conference that the situation in the district was under control. Additional police forces have arrived and adequate security arrangements have been made.
Curfew will continue through the night. The police will review the situation in the morning and if nothing untoward happens, curfew may be relaxed on Sunday morning between 9 am to 11 am.
Meanwhile, the situation is grim in most Mangalore households as they are running out of essential supplies, since the city has been shut down for almost two days now.
The last time Mangalore witnessed communal violence was in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.
"We have been managing on whatever is available till now. However, if the shops don't open tomorrow we will really struggle. There is no milk in the house. Even vegetables and other day-to-day items will run out soon. We have never faced a situation like this before," said Neeta Hegde, a housewife, who lives in the heart of the city.
The city authorities have made special arrangements for outstation passengers held up at airport, railway station and bus stand.
Transport facilities are being made available by the police. Five buses have been deployed at the airport, which is 20 kms from the airport, and passengers are being provided with police escort and brought into the city.
The clashes erupted on Wednesday after a van carrying cattle to a slaughter house was stopped by Bajrang Dal activists and the violence later spread to Ullal, Konaje and other areas, where curfew has been in force since Friday.
Karnataka Police Chief B S Sial, who is camping in Mangalore, said a meeting will be held on Sunday morning to decide whether curfew should be relaxed.
Contact info:
Outstation passengers stranded at the airport, railway station and bus stands may contact Circle Inspector Manjunath Shetty on 0824-2220511.
For any emergency regarding medical supplies and blood, people are requested to contact Home Guard Commandent Shivaprasad Rai on 9845-151575.
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