Deputy Commissioner Sharat B felicitated 12-year-old Venkatesh in Karnataka

A 12-year-old boy who safely guided an ambulance out of a flooded bridge was felicitated by Deputy Commissioner Sharat B on Independence Day.

Venkatesh, in a video which is widely shared on social media, is seen guiding an ambulance across a waterlogged road on the flooded bridge.

As Karnataka continues to battle monsoon fury, the number of deaths on Wednesday mounted to 61, according to the data released by Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).

In the 22 flood battered districts, the maximum deaths have occurred in Belagavi, where 15 were killed. According to the data, at least 14 people remain missing.

Rescue teams deployed in the state have rescued over seven lakh people till now, the report stated.

Out of the people rescued, as many as 3,75,663 people are currently lodged in over 1, 096 relief camps.

The floods have also resulted in heavy loss of livestock with 859 animals reported dead.