A 22-year-old Infosys employee in Bengaluru died on Sunday after her car got trapped in the flooded KR Circle underpass in the city, according to media reports. The woman has been identified as Banurekha.
The girl and her family of five were travelling in the car amid heavy downpour on Sunday and got trapped in neck-deep water at around 3:45 PM at KR Circle underpass, located near the Vidhana Soudha -- the seat of the state government. They were rescued by fire and emergency services personnel.
The girl whose condition was critical was shifted to St Martha's Hospital where she died.
Bhanurekha's family had come from Vijayawada to visit her and explore Bengaluru.
Reports said that the driver of the car did not realise the depth of water stagnating in the underpass area and took the car to the middle of the underpass where it almost got submerged.
A reporter associated with a private Kannada channel who heard the car passengers screaming for help at around 3:45 PM pm immediately alerted the police and sought help from people around.
Onlookers then jumped into the flooded underpass and swam near the car and helped the passengers to get out of the car. They were made to stand on the roof of the car.
Some women in the watching crowd removed their sarees and gave them to the people involved in the rescue to pull the stranded family out of the water. Ropes were given as well to help the family remain afloat.
Among the initial rescuers was Mahesha P, a head constable with the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force. He swam into the water to help the stranded family. He told TNIE that the doors of the car were jammed and could not be opened.
The cop said that Rekha was stuck inside the waterlogged car for a long time. They brought her out after destroying the vehicle's windshield.
Fire personnel then entered the scene and jumped into action. Two of those stranded were dragged out by swimmers from the fire and emergency services personnel. The others of the family were helped to come out using a ladder.
Doctors at St Marthas Hospital where all the six members of the family were taken said that Bhanurekha was frothing at the mouth when she was brought to the hospital.
They claimed they began treatment for Bhanurekha immediately without any delay. They also alleged that she did not have any pulse when they started the treatment and thereby, they declared her dead.
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CM promises to investigate hospital authorities, declares ex-gratia
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rushed to the hospital following the news. He announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and free treatment for those admitted in the hospital.
"The family from Vijayawada hired a car to come see Bengaluru. Due to the downpour, the barricade at the underpass fell down and the driver took the risk of crossing the underpass, which he should not have," Siddaramaiah told reporters, according to PTI.
When reporters complained that doctors refused to treat Bhanurekha, the CM said he would probe the matter and initiate action.
Meanwhile, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said that the underpass got flooded as the city had received more than 24 mm of rain in one hour. It was much more than the carrying capacity of the underpass, he added.
Spate of rain-related accidents
Heavy rains with thunder have been lashing the city this weekend. Malleswaram and Rajaji Nagar, as well as Srirampuram, and certain areas in Kengeri, Mysuru Road and several other low-lying areas have been flooded, PTI reported.
An autorickshaw was trapped at KR Circle and a woman passenger climbed on top of the vehicle and was rescued later, PTI reported. Another waterlogged underpass near Majestic gave commuters severe trouble.
(With inputs from Aknisree Karthik & PTI)