At least seven killed including three children after govt hospital's wall collapses amid Bengaluru rains

At least seven people, including three children, were killed on Wednesday after a compound wall of a hospital collapsed in Bengaluru, news agency PTI reported, citing police.

The incident was reported in the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Shivajinagar, the officials said, adding that when the heavy rains, coupled with strong winds, battered the area, seven victims were taking shelter near the wall, which suddenly came down, crashing, which led to the death of all seven people.

Police and emergency services personnel rushed to the spot with an earthmover to bring out the bodies from the debris with the help of residents.

CM Siddaramaiah visits the accident site

Following the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the accident site along with the Greater Bengaluru Authority Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao and Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh to take stock of the situation.

Ordering a probe into the mishap, Siddaramaiah announced ₹5 lakh solatium to the kin of each of the deceased in the incident. PTI reported that Siddaramaiah took the GBA officials to task for the tragedy.

Briefing reporters after the spot inspection, the chief minister said, "Seven people have died. Out of them, two are children. Seven people are injured. All of them are stable. They are all out of danger. I have told the doctors to provide treatment free of cost."

" ₹5 lakh solatium will be given to the kin of each deceased. Because, unfortunately, those who died are very poor people - traders, street vendors," he added.

CM Siddaramaiah calls for an inquiry

Karnataka CM further stated that an inquiry will be conducted to find out why the wall collapsed. Speaking to reporters, he noted that an inquiry will be conducted to see if the engineers were at fault. He went on to say that if the engineers were found responsible, action would be taken against them immediately.

According to Siddaramaiah, civil work was being carried out inside the compound wall, and the contractor was dumping soil against the wall that collapsed. He added that due to the pressure of the dumped soil against it, the wall might have collapsed.

"Prima facie, it appears to have fallen due to that pressure. So I have asked the engineers - the Executive Engineer and Assistant Executive Engineer - whether they had checked if it had become weak or not," Siddaramaiah said.

No one knew there would be heavy and untimely rains, the CM said, adding that these were pre-monsoon rains.

Leaders express condolences

Reacting to the incident, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, "I have spoken to the commissioner of police, that’s why I have cut off the meeting, and I am going to the spot immediately. I will see how we can help and what has to be done..."

Shivakumar said that at least four people from Kerala were affected, of whom two were killed in this tragedy. They were working with an organisation to improve a nutritious diet. He added that the postmortem will be conducted at the earliest and the bodies will be sent back to Kerala soon.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka, said the loss of innocent lives, including children, street vendors, and pedestrians who had sought shelter from the rain, is not just a natural calamity or accident; "it is a state-sponsored disaster born out of sheer administrative negligence."

"How many more lives must be sacrificed at the altar of poor infrastructure and civic apathy? While the Congress government indulges in tall claims of 'Brand Bengaluru,' the crumbling walls of a premier government hospital in the heart of the city tell a different, more lethal story. For this Congress Government, it seems the lives of the poor and the common man are disposable," he posted on 'X'.

BJP's State President B Y Vijayendra asked the Congress government in Karnataka to take responsibility for the incident, urging them to provide treatment to the injured and compensation to the families of the deceased.

(with agency inputs)