Friday rains in West Bengaluru leave 5 dead; mother, daughter washed away
- A couple died after their compound wall crashed on them
- A priest was swept away after a drain slab gave way while he was trying to remove a blockage that was flooding his area
- Two women were also washed away in a drain in Laggere
- CM Siddaramaiah held an emergency meeting, took stock of the situation
FollowLashed by incessant rainfall, Bengaluru has further seen a surge in the number of deaths. Recently, three people were reported to be killed and two others were washed away and feared dead. The deaths, incidentally, took the rain-related death toll to 13. Ten people were already reported to be killed by the rains between May 14 and Oct 12.Â
The two dead were a couple- Shankarappa, 50, and Kamalamma, 42- who died when their compound wall collapsed on them. The incident happened in Kurubarahalli 18th cross. Police, speaking to Times of India, said, "A retaining wall of a nearby stormwater drain crashed sending water gushing into their home.With 4-5 feet of water inside their house, the couple decided to go to the terrace. As they got out of their home, the compound fell on them."
In SVK Layout, a temple priest was washed away in a storm water drain around 7:30 pm. According to police, 45-year-old Vasudev was trying to clear the block that he thought was the reason for his house being inundated when the drain wall collapsed and he was washed away in the water. His body was later recovered at around 11 pm.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru development minister KJ George said, "The priest and a couple died, while two others were washed away . I am in touch with my people. This unprecedented rain has posed unprecedented challenges, we are taking all the required measures."
Meanwhile, 2 women, identified as 57-year-old Meenakshi and 22-year-old Pushpa were also washed away in a drain in Laggere, near Nandini Layout. Their bodies are yet to be found. The met department ha informed that rains will continue to lash the city for the next two days. It is said that the city received close to 3 cm of rain, while Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC) said that parts of the city may have received up to 8 cm of rainfall.
Ramesh Babu, director at IMD, said, "We had predicted these showers and civic agencies were informed about it. The rain is due to an extended southwest monsoon, and the impact will remain till it withdraws from interior Karnataka region." Between 6 pm and 9 pm, Bescom received 875 complaints of which 295 were pending. Mahalakshmi Layout, Rajajinagar, Basaveshwara Nagar, Yeshwanthpur, Gayatri Nagar, Ranganath Colony near BHEL have reported flooding and there were complaints of trees falling on Mysuru Road and Ram Mandir area in Rajajinagar.Â
It is reported that Bengaluru in charge minister KJ George along with Mayor Sampath Raj rushed to the affected areas with fire and police personnel. It is highly unlikely to retrieve the bodies if those who were washed away in the storm water drain. In that case, the death toll due to heavy rain would make up to 15 alone this year.
Malleswaram, Navrang circle, Nayandahalli looked marooned with water gushing down from Metro underpass. The scene at Vatal Nagaraj underpass near Majestic Railway station was bad With traffic piled up on the stretch, people were struggling to cross the road. The six-lane work on the stretch has further aggravated the situation here. Residents in Nayandahalli, Nandini Layout and Mariyappana palya had to spend a sleepless night with their houses flooded.Â
It is reported that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had called an emergency meeting of all officials last night and took stock of the situation.Â
