MANDYA:  Four women drowned after the car they were travelling in fell into Visvesvaraya Canal in Mandya district of Karnataka, police said on Sunday.

The incident happened on Saturday night near Gamanahalli in Srirangapatna taluk of the district, and the deceased have been identified as Mahadevamma and her relatives Sanjana, Maadevi and Rekha.

Manoj, who drove the car, survived as he managed to swim to the bank of the canal. He has been admitted to hospital for treatment.

Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy and Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa met the family members of the deceased and tried to console them.

Mahadevappa said Rs 2 lakh compensation will be given as ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased.

According to police, prima facie it looks like the car was on its way to Doddamulgoodu from Gamanahalli when the driver might have lost control of the vehicle at a turning, and accidentally rammed the car into a temporary ironclad wall of the canal, following which it fell into the canal.

They said the bodies have been fished out from the canal. A case has been registered and an investigation is on.