Bengaluru rain tragedy: 8 dead in 24 hours as wall collapse and flooding hit city

Seven people, including a child, were killed after a compound wall near the premises of the Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College and Research Institute collapsed during heavy rain on Wednesday evening.

The wall of an adjoining building fell on roadside vendors and pedestrians who had taken shelter from the downpour near the hospital premises. Seven others were injured in the incident.

Rescue teams reached the spot and began operations as authorities cleared debris and started assessing the cause of the collapse, according to reports by India Today Group.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah visited the site and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those killed.

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar also visited the location and said eight people had died across Bengaluru in rain-related incidents within 24 hours, including one death reported at Vega City Mall.

Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the deaths and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

He described the incident as “unfortunate” and conveyed condolences to the affected families.

In another incident linked to the rain, a man aged around 30 to 35 years died after reportedly coming into contact with an electric pole near Mini Forest, 15th Cross, under the jurisdiction of JP Nagar Police Station.

Officials from the Karnataka Electricity Board reached the spot, while JP Nagar Police conducted an inspection.

Authorities said the victims in the wall collapse included street vendors and people who had taken shelter from the rain. Two of those killed were residents of Kerala who had travelled to Bengaluru for work.

A relative of one of the injured said the victim remained in critical condition.

The sudden rain brought relief from high temperatures but caused severe disruption across Bengaluru. Areas including Richmond Town and Shanthinagar witnessed waist-deep waterlogging, while traffic slowed significantly on major roads across the city.

Water also entered parts of Vidhana Soudha, including some government office areas.

Authorities reported uprooted trees in several localities, including Malleswaram, Shanthinagar and Seshadripuram.

The Greater Bengaluru Authority said trees had fallen at nearly 50 locations across the city. Fire and emergency personnel were deployed to clear roads and manage traffic movement.

Political leaders raised concerns over ageing infrastructure following the wall collapse. Opposition leaders demanded a judicial inquiry and alleged lack of maintenance of the old wall.

The Karnataka government has announced an investigation into the incident and said strict action would be taken against those found responsible.

Meanwhile, civic authorities have started reviewing flood-prone areas and ageing structures across Bengaluru in an effort to prevent further incidents.