Tree fall leaves man dead; falling branch injures 8-yr-old girl

BENGALURU: A BWSSB employee died after a tree fell on the car in which he was travelling, near Trinity Circle on Thursday. An eight-year-old girl was severely injured in a separate incident after a tree branch fell on her on Wednesday morning.

Srinivas (45), the BWSSB staffer, died after an aged tree fell on him on AEE’s office premises near Trinity Circle. He had come to report for duty after two months leave. He was a resident of Kodigehalli in KR Puram and was working as a fitter (attender) in BWSSB since 20 years.

A police officer said Srinivas was suffering from gangrene in his right leg and was on leave for two months after surgery. On Friday afternoon, he came to meet the Assistant Executive Engineer to report for duty. Srinivas, his wife and son,  reached the BWSSB office around 1.30 pm and his wife went to meet the AEE while Srinivas was sitting in the car which was parked next to the tree. The tree accidentally fell on the car and Srinivas sustained severe injuries. He was rushed to Bowring hospital where he succumbed to his injuries later.

Srinivas’ son Rakesh S filed a complaint with Ulsoor police. A case of unnatural death has been registered and further investigations are on, the police officer added. Senior officials from BWSSB visited the hospital and handed over emergency compensation to the family.

Speaking to TNIE, Rakesh said, “My father and I were sitting in the car when my mother went to meet the officer. My father tried to get down when the tree fell on the rear seat. I was sitting in the front seat and I sustained minor injuries. I had taken my father to a private hospital in Whitefield for dressing of his leg before reaching BWSSB office.”

In another incident, an eight-year-old girl was severely injured after a tree branch fell on her at Koudenahalli near Ramamurthy Nagar early on Thursday. She was riding pillion on her father’s scooter when the incident occurred. The injured is Rachel Prisha, who was residing in K R Puram.
Her father, Raju, stated in his complaint that he was going to drop her to school around 8.30am when the incident occurred. She was shifted to Manipal Hospital where she is in the ICU. “Doctors said that she needs to be under observation for seven days and then they will shift her to the ward,” he said.
The girl’s incident was raised by JDS MLC T A Saravana during Zero Hour in the Legislative Council and Minister Kota Srinivas Poojari, the floor leader, replied on behalf of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

BBMP to provide aid
Mayor Goutam Kumar  and BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar visited the girl at Manipal Hospital on Old Madras Road and assured to pay for her medical treatment. Anil Kumar said, “It is a very unfortunate incident. The girl has suffered serious head injuries. Her condition is stable, but she is not out of danger.” He added that the road was well tarred, but there was a speed breaker and they had slowed down when the tree branch fell on her. Unfortunately, when the BBMP staffers had gone there earlier to prune the tree branches, the locals had not agreed, he said.