Bengaluru, 30 April

The rains in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening wreaked havoc, killing 10 people, authorities said.

Heavy rains, coupled with a hailstorm and gusty winds, uprooted trees, flooded many key stretches, and threw traffic out of gear, they said on Thursday.

Large parts of the city witnessed sudden, intense rainfall for nearly an hour, bringing down trees and electric poles, crushing parked vehicles and inundating low-lying areas, while several roads were rendered impassable, severely disrupting vehicular movement during peak hours.

Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed when a compound wall of the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital collapsed amid the downpour.

Among the deceased, two were from Kerala who were on a study tour. They had taken shelter near the wall when it gave way, they said.

In another incident, a 35-year-old man, identified as Raghu, died of electrocution on Bannerghatta Road near Vega City Mall.

In a separate case in Yarab Nagar, a student, Syed Sufiyan died after coming into contact with a live electric wire while attempting to park his motorcycle during the rain, police said.

One more fatality was reported from Chamarajapet, where Manjunath died on the spot after a cement block fell and pierced through the roof of a house during the storm.

The sudden spell of rain left a trail of destruction across the city.

“So far, 10 people have died due to rain-related incidents in Bengaluru,” police said, attributing the deaths to wall collapse, electrocution and structural damage triggered by the storm.

Civic authorities said at least 87 trees were uprooted and 131 branches snapped across the city, disrupting daily life.

Of these, 60 trees and 98 branches had been cleared, while restoration work was ongoing.

Several cars and two-wheelers parked along roadsides were crushed under fallen trees.

Key junctions and underpasses were waterlogged, with the KR Circle underpass completely submerged, forcing police to barricade the stretch due to a lack of drainage.

Fallen branches and stalled vehicles further worsened traffic congestion, leaving commuters stranded for hours.

Officials said buildings suffered partial damage in several areas, while the sudden and unanticipated nature of the storm caught many residents off guard. Authorities have issued a rain alert for the next three days.