Heavy rains claim seven lives in Bengaluru; CM visits affected areas, announces Rs 5 lakh relief to families of the dead

Bengaluru: Seven people, including two children, were killed in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening after heavy rains lashed the city. The collapse of an old compound wall at the government Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital led to the death of street vendors.

Most of the deceased had taken shelter near the wall adjoining the hospital mortuary when it gave way, according to officials. Chief minister Siddaramaiah announced an immediate relief of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the dead after visiting the site of the tragedy and the injured persons being treated in the Bowring hospital.

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The CM also took the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials to task for their neglect of the old compound wall, and felt they could have averted the tragedy had they taken up proper inspection.

The authorities reported tree fall at 50 locations across the city, with affected areas including Vijayanagar, RT Nagar, Seshadripuram, Jayanagar, Cubbon Park, JP Nagar, and Wilson Garden. The civic body issued alerts about road blockages caused by the fallen trees.

Opposition leader R Ashoka blamed the ruling Congress, saying it would be wrong to attribute the tragedy to a natural disaster.

“This incident serves as a stark mirror to the state government’s utter negligence, maladministration, and the utter disarray in Bengaluru city’s infrastructure,” he wrote on X. “Ensuring the safety and security of ordinary citizens’ lives is the foremost responsibility of any government.”

Ashoka said that the widespread tragedy showed the government abdicating its responsibility. The failure to regularly inspect old and dilapidated buildings and walls, and not carrying out periodic repairs were the reasons for the compound wall collapse, he added.

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The downpour once again laid bare the city’s persistent drainage and infrastructure gaps, with residents taking to social media to vent their frustration. “30 minutes of rain and roads are flooding… Where did we fail in city planning,” wrote an X user with the handle by the name Gurpreet Singh.

The disruption also drew sharp reaction from the investor community. Dinesh Pai, a partner at Rainmatter, the venture arm of Zerodha, said cab-hailing platforms had missed a significant opportunity. “If any cab-hailing app ensured customers could get home today in Bengaluru, they’d have found lifelong loyal customers, better ROI than IPL ads,” he wrote.