Bengaluru: Gusty winds with speeds of up to 59 kmph and heavy rain created havoc in the city and claimed two lives, including that of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy, on Monday afternoon. A car driver also sustained multiple fractures.
The strong winds felled 30 trees across the city. Fairoz Pasha (48), a resident of Kalyan Nagar and a caterer, was crushed to death when a tree fell on him while he was driving his two-wheeler in Malleswaram. A car that was next to his bike too was crushed, but the driver, Swamy (27), had a miraculous escape. Swamy (27), who has sustained severe injuries and multiple fractures, is being treated at K.C. General Hospital.
Around 1 pm, Fairoz Pasha and Swamy were going past Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women towards Malleswaram on Margosa Road when the 20-year-old Indian cork tree, which was on the pavement, crashed. The impact was so high that it shattered Fairoz’s helmet and crushed his back. He had also suffered multiple fractures.
People rushed to the rescue of Pasha and Swamy and informed the police and BBMP control rooms. Prahari teams arrived at the spot, cut the tree branches and pulled Fairoz out.
An eyewitness said that it took over half-an-hour to rescue Swamy, who was stuck in his car. “We saw the two-wheeler rider stuck below the tree and the car severely damaged. People broke the car’s windowpanes and pulled the driver out. Both the victims were rushed to K.C. General Hospital in an autorickshaw,” he said.
A police official said that the tree would have killed many more if it had fallen seconds earlier when a crowded BMTC bus passed by. The incident led to a traffic jam that lasted over an hour. Traffic was brought back to normal only after the tree and its branches were removed.
Shivaram, Deputy Range Forest officer, BBMP, said, “The Akash Mallige tree was neither infected nor damaged. It may have got uprooted because of strong winds. We have now cut the tree and cleared it from the road.”
In another incident, three-and-a-half-year-old Jeevan, son of a private company employee Kumar, died after a tree fell on him. Jeevan was playing outside his house in Viveknagar when the incident occurred around 12.30 pm. He was rushed to Nimhans, but he failed to respond to treatment.
Jeevan was the only son of the couple, Ramakrishna and Prema. Jeevan, a student of Bala Yesu School, was heading out to play with his friends after returning from school when the tragedy struck.
Traffic comes to screeching halt
Winds at 59 kmph blew across the city from West to North West direction, said Met Department officials. The city also experienced 8.3mm rainfall between 8.30 am and 2.30 pm.
Strong wind uprooted four trees in Koramangala, two trees in Vijayanagara, four in Jayanagara, one each in Jeevanbimanagar, Mahalakshmipuram, Richmond Circle, Malleswaram, Laggere Ring road, Banaswadi Road, Indiranagar, J.P. Nagar, opposite Chinnaswamy Stadium, Lakshmipuram, Ittamadu, Bailsandra, Old Airport road, Prem Nagara in Kottigepalya and other parts of the city.
The traffic police reported water logging at Opera junction, while slow moving traffic near Manipal Hospital on Old Airport Road, CTO circle towards Queen’s statue, Byappanahalli Metro Station towards city on Old Madras Road, Forum Mall towards Nimhans, Ejipura towards Koramangala water tank, Lakkasandra from Siddarapura and Ashoka Pillar circle.
Since June 1, the city has experienced 174 mm rainfall, while HAL airport has witnessed 239 mm rainfall and Kempegowda International Airport area 102mm, the Met department officials said. The department forecasts moderate to heavy rainfall over all the districts of Coastal Karnataka and at many places over all the districts of interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru, over the next 48 hours.
