At least 10 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Bengaluru after intense thunderstorms, hailstorms, and strong winds battered the city on Wednesday evening.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and nine others injured when a compound wall at Bowring Hospital collapsed in the Shivajinagar area. Several people, many of them street vendors, had taken shelter along the wall during a sudden downpour when the structure gave way.
The deceased included Fayaz Ahmed (39), Mohammed Abdul Haq (52), Musfira (6), KK Latha (57), Smita (47), Mohd Salauddin (36), and Naseemullah (19). Two of the victims were women from Kerala visiting the city.
Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka, visited the site and announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for each victim’s family. He assured that all injured persons are out of danger and will receive free treatment. An inquiry has been ordered to determine whether negligence contributed to the collapse, particularly regarding the wall’s condition and nearby construction activity.
However, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar attributed the incident primarily to extreme weather conditions, ruling out civic lapses.
Separate rain-related incidents claimed three more lives. A 17-year-old boy was electrocuted after stepping into a waterlogged area with a live wire, while a cobbler died in a similar incident elsewhere in the city. Another man was killed when part of his house collapsed late at night.
The storm brought over an hour of intense rainfall, accompanied by winds reaching up to 50 kmph. The India Meteorological Department had issued an orange alert ahead of the downpour. Central parts of the city recorded around 78 mm of rainfall.
Flooding was reported across key areas such as MG Road, Indiranagar, Koramangala, and BTM Layout, where water levels rose up to two to three feet in low-lying zones. Overflowing drains clogged with debris worsened the situation, leading to widespread waterlogging.
Transport and connectivity were severely affected. Flooding near major junctions and metro stations disrupted traffic, while fallen trees damaged vehicles and brought down power and internet cables, causing outages in several areas.
Government buildings were not spared, with rainwater entering offices inside Vidhana Soudha. Officials admitted that the intensity of the storm had caught authorities off guard, and special engineering teams are now being deployed to vulnerable locations.
The storm also caused significant damage to businesses. A well-known bookstore on Church Street reported the loss of nearly 5,000 books due to flooding, highlighting the broader economic and cultural impact of the extreme weather.
Authorities recorded around 170 fallen trees and more than 400 broken branches, while civic agencies received over 500 distress calls from residents. Weather officials have forecast intermittent thundershowers and gusty winds over the next 48 hours.
