Bengaluru rains turn deadly: 10 killed in wall collapse, electrocution cases amid storm chaos

A sudden burst of heavy rain, accompanied by hailstorms and strong winds, wreaked havoc across Bengaluru, uprooting trees, flooding key areas and throwing traffic into chaos, officials said on Thursday.

Many areas of the city experienced sudden rainfall for almost one hour, resulting in fallen trees and electric poles, smashing parked cars, flooding low-lying areas, with some roads being completely blocked, hampering traffic movement during peak hours.

Rains claim lives

A total of seven people, including a six-year-old girl, lost their lives due to the collapse of a compound wall at the Bowring & Lady Curzon Hospital amidst rainfall.

Among those dead, two were from Kerala who were students on a trip. According to officials, the two took shelter next to the wall that collapsed.

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In yet another case, a 35-year-old man named Raghu died of electrocution near Vega City Mall on Bannerghatta Road.

Another death occurred in Yarab Nagar, where a student named Syed Sufiyan died after coming into contact with a live electric wire while parking his bike in the rain.

Another person, Manjunath, lost his life in the Chamarajapet area after a cement slab fell onto the roof of his home and pierced it during the heavy rains.

The city faced huge destruction as a result of this downpour.

"Until now, 10 people have died due to rain-related incidents in Bengaluru," police officials stated, citing wall collapses, electrocution, and structural damage caused by the rain.

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Trees uprooted, vehicles damaged

As per officials, a total of 87 trees and 131 branches fell in Bengaluru due to the downpour.

Among these, 60 trees and 98 branches have been cleared, while the process of restoration is still underway. Several vehicles, including four-wheelers and two-wheelers parked along roadsides, were crushed by falling trees.

Some junctions and underpasses were flooded, and one such underpass, the KR Circle underpass, was completely submerged, prompting police to block the area owing to poor drainage.

The fallen branches and stalled vehicles only added to the traffic woes, and commuters found themselves stranded for hours. It is reported that there had been some partial damage to buildings in various places.