Bengaluru: ‘Friday The 13’ was bad for Bengaluru, India’s ‘Silicon City.’ Eight people were killed due to heavy rains, a man was severely injured as a wall collapsed on him while he was on his bike. The city was almost flooded causing traffic snarls all over besides inundating thousands of houses.
Four people including a mother and daughter, a priest and another person washed away in the rain as water levels raised to dangerous proportions while four others including a couple died due to wall collapse caused by the downpour. With this, the total number of deaths caused by rains in Bengaluru this monsoon has gone up to 14.
The priest’s body was recovered this morning. According to the Police, the priest of a temple in Basaveshwaranagar was washed away by an overflowing drain in the evening around 7 pm. The priest, identified as Vasudev, was at Venkateswara temple situated near a Rajakaluve in SVK Layout, when the drain suddenly started overflowing with a rush of sewage-mixed rain water. His body was recovered by fire service personnel this morning.
Water level rose up to 20 feet in Laggere storm water drain as against an eight-foot retaining wall causing flooding on the road and into houses nearby. Meenakshi and her daughter Pushpa came running out of their home when storm water gushed into their building. But both got washed away as water levels raised and gained force.
At Kurubarahalli 18th Cross, a couple Shankarappa and Kamalamma died on the spot when wall collapsed due to heavy rain. The couple was clearing off water logged in their compound by fetching it in buckets and throwing it away outside, the Police said. Similarly in Laggere, two persons Rudra and Mahendra died on the spot when wall collapsed on them.
CM visits affected areas
A day after eight persons were killed, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah visited the affected areas this morning and asked the authorities to provide compensation to the families of victims.
Accompanied by Home Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy and Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the CM visited Kurubarahalli and Basaveshwaranagar. He asked officers to be prepared as the Met Department has warned that there would be rains for another three to four days.
2017 MONSOON DEATH TOLL
May 20: Rajkumar (24), a JCB operator, fell into a storm water drain in Kurubarahalli.
September 27: Narayanappa (48) died after compound wall of a neighbouring house collapsed on him, in Madanayakanahalli.
September 9: Three persons Ramesh (42), wife Bharathi (38) and Bharathi’s brother Jagadish (46) — all residents of Summanhalli were killed when a eucalyptus tree came crashing down on their car on Dispensary Road. On the same day in Sheshadripuram, an 18-year-old Varun was washed away in a drain.
October 13: Kurubarahalli: Couple died after their house wall collapsed in Kurubarahalli 18th cross. The deceased are Shankarappa and Kamalamma.
Kurubarahalli Junction: Vasudev, a priest of Ganesha temple in Kurubarahalli Junction washed away in a storm water drain. Another person who was with Vasudev is also suspected to have washed away.
Laggere: Meenakshi (57) and her daughter Pushpa (22) came running out of their home when storm water gushed into their building. But both got washed away as water levels raised and gained force. Two more people feared dead after the wall collapse in Laggere.
This post was published on October 14, 2017 6:53 pm