49-year-old auto driver Shivarudraiah succumbed to severe head injuries after a tree fell on his auto rickshaw during rains in Vijayanagar on Friday evening.
In a tragic incident in Bengaluru, a 49-year-old auto driver died after being injured when a tree fell on his vehicle during the rains on Friday night. He passed away later in the night while undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The incident took place in Vijayanagar area where the driver, identified as Shivarudraiah, sustained severe head injuries when the tree fell on his autorickshaw, reported The Hindu.
₹5 lakh as the first monsoon-related death this year. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)” title=”The BBMP is expected to compensate his family with ₹5 lakh as the first monsoon-related death this year. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)” /> ₹5 lakh as the first monsoon-related death this year. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)” title=”The BBMP is expected to compensate his family with ₹5 lakh as the first monsoon-related death this year. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)” />The BBMP is expected to compensate his family with ₹5 lakh as the first monsoon-related death this year. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)
Shivarudraiah leaves behind his wife and two daughters.
An official of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) – Bengaluru’s municipal corporation – spoke to reporters and said that while the compensation amount has not been finalised, the family is expected to ₹5 lakh. This is the first death due to monsoon-related incidents in the city this year. However, five more have been injured in similar tree-falling incidents since the onset of monsoon, the report said.
On Friday, the tree, weakened by its roots, was uprooted and fell on the autorickshaw, a senior official of the BBMP Forest Cell told the publication. Later in the evening, the city received moderate rainfall.
The impact of the tree on the autorickshaw was severe as it pierced the roof and hit the driver’s head, causing severe bleeding. Though he was rushed to a nearby hospital, he did not respond to treatment and was declared dead around 10:30 pm.
According to another BBMP Forest Cell official, 53 trees have been uprooted and 92 branches broken across the city since the beginning of the month. In addition, 250 trees and 756 branches, which were found to be weak, have been removed preventively.
The official stressed that efforts are being made to remove weak and dry trees on a regular basis. This unfortunate incident should not have happened and the forest department will speed up the work to prevent such tragedies in the future, the official assured.
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