Seven people, including a six-year-old girl who had gone shopping for her seventh birthday on May 3, were killed and nine others injured after a wall of Bowring Hospital in Shivajinagar collapsed on them during thunderstorms on Wednesday evening. This marks the first major rain-related tragedy in the tech capital in two decades.
Victims and Circumstances
The victims included two women from Kerala who were visiting Bengaluru. They had taken shelter along the compound wall to escape the sudden downpour when the structure gave way. According to police, many of the deceased and injured were street vendors who sold wares along the wall. The deceased have been identified as Fayaz Ahmed, 39, a footwear vendor; Mohammed Abdul Haq, 52, a cloth seller; Musfira, 6; KK Latha, 57, and Smita, 47, both from Kerala; Mohammed Salauddin, 36, a vendor from Uttar Pradesh; and Naseemullah, 19, from Assam, who was making car stickers.
Government Response
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who visited the site, promised a thorough investigation and action against officials if negligence is established. He announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the victims. "The injured are out of danger. I have instructed doctors to provide medical treatment free of cost," he said. He questioned why engineers ignored the dilapidated condition of the wall, noting that construction was ongoing inside the hospital campus and sand was dumped near the wall. "Prima facie, the wall might have collapsed because of the pressure," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister's Remarks
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar attributed the incident to nature's fury and ruled out lapses by officials of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). However, the state government has ordered a detailed probe into the incident.
