Bengaluru Reels Under Torrential Rains; Death Toll Rises to 5

Pratiksha Ghosh

Bengaluru May 20 2025:Bengaluru continues to battle the aftermath of relentless rainfall over the past 36 hours, which has brought the city to a standstill. The downpour, which left large parts of the city waterlogged, has now claimed five lives across Karnataka, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

Sai Layout remained one of the worst-hit areas, resembling an island as floodwaters submerged the ground floors of several homes. Rescue teams evacuated around 150 residents on Monday, relocating them to safer locations. 

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) provided food and drinking water to the affected families, though residents criticized civic authorities for their delayed and inadequate response.

In another tragic incident, an orphanage in Hennur was inundated. Personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services and the Disaster Response Force stepped in to rescue the stranded occupants.

Daily life across the city was thrown into chaos. Commuters navigated knee-deep water at multiple locations, including the bustling Manyata Tech Park and Silk Board Junction. Major traffic snarls and fresh potholes added to the woes of motorists.

Two rain-related fatalities occurred in NS Palya, near BTM Layout, where a man and a boy were electrocuted. Manmohan Kamath (63) was operating a motorized pump to clear floodwater from his apartment when he was fatally shocked. Dinesh (12), the son of a Nepalese worker at the complex, was also electrocuted while nearby. Both were declared dead at the hospital. Police have confirmed that Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs) will be filed.

Earlier, 35-year-old Sasikala also lost her life when a compound wall collapsed on her while she was working in the Mahadevapura area. Additionally, two people died due to lightning strikes in Raichur and Karwar districts.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Bengaluru received around 30 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, following a deluge of 105 mm between Sunday night and Monday morning. Several other regions across south Karnataka, coastal areas, and the Malnad belt are also experiencing intense rainfall. Mangaluru recorded 90 mm during the same period.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Bengaluru, indicating the possibility of very heavy rainfall (11–20 cm), and yellow alerts for several other districts. The IMD Bengaluru Centre Director N Puviarasu explained that although rural areas can absorb such rainfall, the urban sprawl and concretization in Bengaluru make water drainage difficult, increasing the flood risk.

Districts under alert include Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Gadag, Vijayanagara, and Koppal. Light to moderate rain with thunder and gusty winds is forecast in these regions over the next 24 hours.

The IMD has urged residents to stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel, and follow basic safety protocols—such as staying away from water bodies and unplugging electrical devices—to prevent further accidents.

“Take safe shelters. Do not take shelter under trees. Unplug electrical/electronic appliances immediately. Get out of water bodies immediately. Keep away from all the objects that conduct electricity,” the bulletin read.