Bengaluru Storm Leaves 10 Dead As Heavy Rain, Hailstorm Trigger Flooding And Chaos

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Bengaluru rain causes waterlogging, traffic snarls, and infrastructure damage.
• Hospital wall collapse kills 10; other deaths from electrocution, falling debris.
• Seventy trees uprooted, blocking roads; bookstore sustains heavy book damage.

A sudden spell of intense rain and hailstorm swept across Bengaluru on Wednesday evening, bringing relief from peak summer heat but causing widespread disruption and fatalities across the city.

The sharp downpour, accompanied by gusty winds, followed temperatures touching 37 degrees and led to severe waterlogging, traffic congestion and flooding in multiple areas.

City Flooded Within Hours

Several parts of Bengaluru reported waist-deep water, including Richmond Town and Shanthinagar, as heavy rain overwhelmed civic infrastructure within two hours.

Government offices were also affected, with waterlogging reported inside parts of Vidhana Soudha. The office of Leader of Opposition R Ashoka was among the premises flooded, HT reported.

Hospital Wall Collapse Kills Seven

Seven people, including a child, were killed and seven others injured after the compound wall of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital collapsed during the storm.

The death toll later rose to 10 on Thursday after three more fatalities were reported.

Additional Deaths Reported In Separate Incidents

A 35-year-old man identified as Raghu died of electrocution on Bannerghatta Road near Vega City Mall.

In Yarab Nagar, student Syed Sufiyan died after coming into contact with a live electric wire while attempting to park his motorcycle during the rain, according to police.

Another fatality was reported from Chamarajapet, where Manjunath died after a cement block pierced through the roof of a house during the storm.

Kharge Calls For Precautionary Measures

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Karnataka government to take steps to prevent similar incidents.

“As per one version, it was an old compound, another version is that it was not constructed properly….I have seen that there are cracks in the compound. I have spoken to people there, the compound has to be repaired, and the street vendors and others who have been affected should be given compensation,” he said.

Trees Uprooted Across City

Civic authorities said at least 87 trees were uprooted and 131 branches snapped across Bengaluru.

Tree falls were reported from several areas including Malleswaram, Shanthinagar and Seshadripuram.

According to the Greater Bengaluru Authority command and control centre, trees fell in at least 50 locations.

Traffic Movement Severely Hit

The evening downpour caused major traffic snarls as office-goers struggled to return home.

Vehicular movement slowed significantly across major roads and junctions, while disruptions were also reported in Metro services.

Fire and Emergency Services personnel, along with traffic police and civic staff, were deployed to clear uprooted trees, stalled vehicles and inundated roads.

Iconic Bookstore Suffers Heavy Damage

The storm also caused significant damage to The Bookworm, a well-known bookstore on Church Street.

The store shared images of books floating in floodwater and said, “Due to Heavy rain in Bangalore we lost 4000 to 5000 books.”

The incident prompted support online, with readers offering assistance and urging others to help.