4 die as heavy rain batters, floods Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Three of a family were crushed to death after a tree fell on their car while one person died after he was washed away in an open drain as unrelenting rain accompanied by gusty winds wreaked havoc across the city on Friday. Highest rainfall of 69mm was recorded in Kammanahalli and Samapangiram Nagar till 9.30pm. Traffic came to a standstill in the evening as roads were inundated. The three persons who died were part of a four-member family from Summanahalli, Magadi Road, who had come to the city along with their mechanic to get the car’s front glass repaired. The car was parked on Dispensary Road when the incident happened. A Niligiri tree on a private property fell on the family’s Esteem car. Bharathi (38), a woman  home guard deputed to BBMP, her husband Ramesh (42) and Bharathi’s brother Jagadeesh (46) were crushed to death, said the area DCP. Two people in the front escaped by breaking the wind shield but suffered minor injuries in the process. They included the car mechanic and the couple’s younger son, who is in his early 20s. The family had come all the way from Summanahalli to get the front glass of the car repaired. According to Chief Fire Officer Basavanna, fire personnel reached the spot and had to prise open the top portion of the car with a hydraulic cutter to remove the trapped victims. The woman was reportedly alive for about 20 minutes after the incident. Locals tried to help but couldn’t extricate them. All occupants of the car, including survivors, were taken to Victoria hospital.