Tragedy struck on Sunday as a 22-year-old woman lost her life in a drowning incident. The unfortunate incident occurred when the car carrying her family got stuck in neck-deep water at KR Circle underpass, located just a short distance from Vidhana Soudha, the legislative assembly of Karnataka.
Swift action by the fire and emergency services personnel, aided by concerned citizens who rushed to help, led to the successful rescue of five family members and the driver who were trapped in the flooded underpass. The victim, identified as Bhanurekha, was rushed to St Martha's Hospital, where doctors unfortunately pronounced her dead.
CM Siddaramaiah visits victim family, announces compensation
Upon learning about the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promptly visited the hospital to assess the situation. In response, he announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the deceased woman's relatives and assured free medical treatment for those admitted to the hospital.
"The family from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh had hired a car and come to see Bengaluru. Bhanurekha works in Infosys. Due to the downpour, the barricade at the underpass fell down and the driver took the risk of crossing the underpass, which he should not have," Siddaramaiah told media persons after meeting the family.
Bhanurekha, aged 22, tragically lost her life in the incident.
CM promises to probe the matter
Upon learning that doctors at the hospital allegedly refused to treat Bhanurekha, despite her being alive when she arrived, reporters covering the incident expressed their concerns. In response, Siddaramaiah, the Chief Minister, promised to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the car driver attempted to drive through the water, but as they reached the middle of the underpass, the vehicle became partially submerged. The occupants of the car urgently tried to save themselves.
Attempts to rescue stuck vehicle
Due to the heavy rain and hailstorm, the water level continued to rise. As the distressed family cried out for help, nearby individuals rushed to their aid.
Sarees and ropes were thrown to help them stay afloat, but their attempts to climb out of the water proved unsuccessful. While two individuals were rescued by skilled swimmers from the emergency services, others were brought to safety using a ladder.
The survivors were immediately taken to the hospital, where they tragically discovered that Bhanurekha had passed away. The sight of their deceased family member caused loud mourning to fill the hospital premises.
An autorickshaw found itself trapped at KR Circle, but a quick-thinking woman passenger managed to save herself by climbing on top of the vehicle. Fortunately, the rescuers were able to save her as well.
Waterlogging causes vehicle trapping at other places
In another incident, numerous vehicles became trapped at a waterlogged underpass near Majestic, also situated in the city center. Struggling to escape, people faced great difficulty in exiting their vehicles.
Many individuals expressed their grievances, noting that the area frequently experiences flooding during heavy rainfall, yet no preventive measures have been implemented.
The heavy rain resulted in water entering several houses throughout the city.
In Mahalakshmi Layout, a prominent locality, houses were inundated, causing damage to furniture, electronics, and stored food grains.
Numerous areas, including upscale neighborhoods like Malleswaram and Rajaji Nagar, as well as Srirampuram, certain parts of Kengeri, Mysuru Road, and various low-lying regions, experienced significant waterlogging.
The impact of the rainfall was also evident in the falling of trees in various localities, causing damage to homes and vehicles. As a result, traffic was severely disrupted.
"We have been receiving numerous complaints regarding waterlogging and fallen trees from across Bengaluru," stated a civic agency official in Bengaluru, according to PTI.
