Bengaluru: Five were killed in a building collapse here on Wednesday as Bengaluru grapples with incessant rainfall over the past three days. The heavy downpour has caused widespread flooding in residential areas and turned roads into rivers, leaving the city in chaos.
At least seven people lost their lives in separate rain-related incidents on Tuesday. Five labourers died when a building collapsed during the rain, while two children tragically drowned after being trapped in marshy areas of Kengeri Lake, according to police sources. Authorities managed to rescue 14 people from the building collapse site, but others are still missing, police said.
The Bengaluru Urban District administration has declared a holiday for schools and Anganwadi centres on Wednesday in view of the heavy rains in the district. In a statement, the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru, Urban Jagadish G, said the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure and in students' interest. However, all the colleges and ITIs will function as usual. Jagadish also said a general instruction has been given to colleges not to use dilapidated and weak buildings for holding classes to avoid accidents. He asked parents and college management to ensure students do not go to low-lying areas with water. The Deputy Commissioner said that the college authorities should inform the students about dealing with natural calamities.
Five teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed to evacuate residents from severely flooded areas, including Yelahanka, one of the hardest-hit localities. Using coracles, they navigated waist-deep water to assist stranded residents. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) reported that Yelahanka received a staggering 157 mm of rain within six hours, transforming areas like Kendriya Vihar into a virtual river.
Bengaluru’s battered infrastructure has sparked public outrage, with pothole-related incidents adding to the growing frustration. Opposition parties, including the JD(S), sharply criticized the ruling Congress government with sarcastic remarks highlighting the state of the city's infrastructure.
"Another day in Bengaluru where the Congress government's failures have turned our world-class infrastructure into a mini Venice! Kudos to @siddaramaiah & @DKShivakumar for their visionary leadership. Maybe next term, we can invest in boats instead of roads?" JD(S) posted on X (formerly Twitter).
In response to the criticism, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who oversees Bengaluru's development, addressed the media, saying, "You’ve seen what's happening in Dubai and Delhi—pollution in Delhi and unexpected rain in Dubai. Similar situations are affecting many parts of the country. We are managing." He emphasised that while they cannot control nature, the government is focused on providing relief.
"My presence isn’t necessary right now because it would attract media attention. What’s important is ensuring help reaches the people affected by the floods," Shivakumar added.
Many homes in low-lying areas, particularly near lakes, were submerged, damaging household items, vehicles, and electronics. Some residents were even seen catching fish in waterlogged streets. The embankment of a lake in Dasarahalli gave way, worsening the flooding in areas under Mahadevapura zone, including several residential layouts.
Severe traffic jams were reported across the city, with major roads such as Ballari Road, Tumakuru Road, Old Madras Road, and Kanakapura Road experiencing hours-long gridlock. Ballari Road, which leads to Kempegowda International Airport, was particularly congested. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath waded through knee-deep water to assess the situation and reassure affected residents.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate showers in the coming days, with isolated heavy rain and thunderstorms expected in districts including Bengaluru Urban, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, and Mysuru. Twenty pumps have been deployed to drain water from flooded apartment complexes and low-lying areas, and rescue operations remain ongoing in the worst-hit zones.