Bengaluru: 23-year-old woman drowns in flooded underpass; FIR registered

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Bengaluru's civic body after a 23-year-old woman died after getting stuck in a flooded underpass during the heavy rain on Sunday. The brother of the victim, Sandeep, filed the case against the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) at the Halasuru Gate Police Station in Bengaluru on Monday, according to news agency ANI.

Heavy downpours lashed parts of the city on Sunday evening, triggering a civic menace in Karnataka's capital. The woman, identified as Banurekha, drowned after the vehicle she was traveling in with her family got stuck in rainwater at the KR Circle underpass. As per reports, the victim's family members were rescued by fire department personnel.

Following the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah paid a visit to the victim's family members on Sunday and directed BBMP authorities to remove the silt from all underpasses and prepare for the monsoon season. Furthermore, the state government also announced Rs. 5 lakh compensation for the death of the techie, who hailed from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.

"We have ordered a report on all the underpasses in the state, including the 18 underpasses in Bengaluru, following the death of a techie," Siddaramaiah further stated on Monday. "Everything won't happen in a day but will ensure that such an incident doesn't happen again. It is our duty to protect our citizens' lives," he added.

Hailstorms and heavy rains brought Karnataka's capital city to a standstill on Sunday as trees got uprooted in numerous parts, including Malleshwaram, RT Nagar, Windsor Manor Junction, and Kumara Krupa Road, among other areas. The Hindu reported that homes in Mahalakshmi Layout, Malleswaram, and a few other parts of Bengaluru were also waterlogged due to the rains.