Kumbla: A 65-year-old fisherman and long-time mosque committee president was killed after a coconut palm uprooted and fell on him while he was chatting with friends on a beach at Pervad in Kumbla panchayat on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as A B Abdulla (65) of Pervad. He had been serving as the president of Badariya Juma Masjid in Pervad for the past 25 years, according to his neighbour Haneef.

With trawling currently banned, Abdulla had been earning a living through shore-based fishing. He would cast a net into the sea from the beach and wait onshore as the net drifted. "He would earn around ₹300 to ₹500 a day," Haneef said.

On Wednesday morning, Abdulla cast his net, secured the rope to a rock and sat on the beach with his friends, Hassainar and Ibrahim. As the three men chatted, a crownless coconut palm uprooted and came crashing down. Ibrahim managed to move away in time.

Hassainar was struck while trying to escape and suffered injuries. However, the full weight of the tree fell on Abdulla, fatally crushing him, Haneef said.
Abdulla was rushed to the Kumbla District Co-operative Hospital, where he was declared dead. Hassainar is undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Abdulla is survived by his wife, Sakina, and children Hanifa, Shamsu, Ameer, Zainaba, Misriya and Khadeeja.