Woman dies after car gets submerged in flooded underpass in Bengaluru  

A woman named Banurekha died on May 21 evening after the car she was travelling in was submerged in the flooded underpass at K. R. circle after heavy rains lashed Bengaluru

A woman named Banurekha, 23, died on May 21 evening after the car she was travelling in was submerged in the flooded underpass at K. R. circle after heavy rains lashed Bengaluru. While there were five others who were rescued from the car, Banurekha was declared dead at St Martha’s hospital where she was taken.

A vacation turned into a nightmare for this family from Vijayawada who had arrived at Bengaluru. Their car was submerged under the K.R. Circle underpass which is a stone’s throw away from Vidhana Soudha. Banurekha was an employee at Infosys in Bengaluru.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who visited the spot and also the hospital, said that including the driver, there were seven members in the car. “The family had hired the vehicle for sightseeing. There were barricades erected near the underpass, but due to strong winds and rain, they had fallen. The driver should not have gone into the underpass. When the car went there, the glass broke, and water gushed inside. The doors got jammed and Banurekha drank too much water. The doctors said that she was dead by the time she was brought to the hospital,” he said.

While declaring a ₹5 lakh compensation for Banurekha’s family, he also said that the treatment charges of all the other members who were trapped in the car, would be covered by the government. The family members alleged that Banurekha was denied emergency treatment at the hospital. Responding to these allegations, the CM said, “the doctors said that they did not deny treatment. As it was an emergency case, we will investigate the matter and take action if there was any neglect or denial.”

Mr. Siddaramiah also said that his government would take up drainage clearance and action against encroachment of rajakaluves on a priority basis to prevent any untoward incidents during the soon approaching monsoons.

The heavy rains and hailstorms in brought the city to a standstill on Sunday afternoon as trees were uprooted in many areas including R.T. Nagar, Malleshwaram, Kumara Krupa road and Windson Manor junction among other places. Homes in Mahalakshmi Layout, Malleswaram and some other parts of the city were also waterlogged following the rains.