Key Points
- Three fatalities in Bengaluru due to rain-related incidents: two electrocuted, one killed in a wall collapse.
- Over 130 mm of rain in 12 hours led to severe flooding, waterlogging, and citywide disruptions.
- IMD has issued an orange alert for Bengaluru, warning of more heavy rainfall in the coming days.
- City authorities claim 70% of flood-prone areas have been addressed, but many remain vulnerable.
- Hundreds of homes flooded, major traffic jams, and overflowing lakes reported across the city.
Bengaluru: Relentless pre-monsoon rains battered Bengaluru, leaving the city reeling under severe waterlogging and tragic fatalities. In just 12 hours, the city received over 130 mm of rainfall, flooding hundreds of homes, submerging basements, and turning major roads into rivers.
Electrocution in Flooded Basement
On Monday evening, a tragic incident unfolded at Madhuvan Apartments in BTM Layout 2nd Stage. Manmohan Kamath, a 63-year-old resident, attempted to use an electric motor to pump out rainwater that had inundated the apartment’s basement. As he connected the motor to a power socket, a suspected short circuit triggered a fatal electric shock. Dinesh, a 12-year-old boy and son of a Nepali worker at the complex, was nearby and also came into contact with electrified water. Both were rushed to a hospital but were declared dead on arrival.
Police have registered Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs) and are investigating the circumstances. Dinesh had only recently moved to Bengaluru with his parents, highlighting the vulnerability of migrant families during such disasters.
Wall Collapse Claims Another Life
Earlier that day, in Whitefield’s Mahadevapura area, the city’s third rain-related fatality occurred. Shashikala, a 35-year-old housekeeping staffer, was killed instantly when a compound wall collapsed on her while she was sweeping the premises of a software company. The wall, weakened by incessant rain, gave way early in the morning.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed condolences and announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for Shashikala’s family.
Citywide Disruption and Emergency Response
The deluge left much of Bengaluru paralyzed:
- Flooded Homes and Roads: Over 500 homes were inundated, and more than 20 lakes nearly overflowed. Upscale neighborhoods faced severe waterlogging, and traffic jams stretched for kilometers.
- Rescue and Relief Efforts: Residents and authorities scrambled to clear water and debris, while emergency services responded to distress calls across the city.
- Infrastructure Struggles: Despite claims from Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar that 70% of the city’s 210 flood-prone areas have been addressed, the scale of Monday’s flooding exposed ongoing vulnerabilities.
- Ongoing Rainfall: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Bengaluru, forecasting very heavy rainfall (8–10 cm, possibly up to 20 cm) in the coming days. Several districts, including Bengaluru Urban and Rural, remain under alert.
IMD Bengaluru Centre Director N. Puviarasu emphasized that the city’s concrete landscape and blocked drainage systems worsen the impact of heavy rain, prompting the orange alert so officials can prepare accordingly.
What’s Next?
With more rain forecast until at least May 23, authorities are racing to clear remaining flood-prone zones and reinforce vulnerable infrastructure. The city’s residents, meanwhile, are bracing for further disruptions as Bengaluru faces its heaviest pre-monsoon spell in years.
“We are rectifying flood-prone areas and are trying to help the common people. Quantum of rainfall has been very high… Underpass works are underway in a couple of places in these areas and they have been flooded. We will work with those departments to resolve these issues,” said Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar.
