BBMP lorry and negligence ‘kills’ 15-year-old Akshaya in Bengaluru

A Bengaluru school student, Akshaya, died after being hit by a BBMP trash lorry in a fatal accident near a flyover.

Akshaya, a Class 9 student died while she was crossing the road in Bengaluru's Hebbal area on the way back home. The 15-year-old girl was run over by a BBMP trash lorry on Monday afternoon.

The 15-year-old Akshaya was run over by a BBMP trash lorry on Monday afternoon.

The tragic incident occurred a day after heavy rains had lashed Bengaluru and caused waterlogging in the Hebbal underpass. Due to improper water draining works the subway was partly inundated, forcing Akshaya to instead try crossing the road by jumping over the three-foot-high divider near the underpass.

Akshaya, a student of Stella Maris English School was returning home after her exam. She got down from the bus at the Hebbal stop and had to walk to Vishwanatha Nagenahalli area. She and two other women pedestrians were crossing the area together to go towards the road divider when a speeding BBMP garbage truck ran over Akshaya, killing her instantly and injuring two other women. It then crashed into a two-wheeler and a car.

Water puddles under the underpass have made the lives of people difficult. The Bengaluru Police had asked the BBMP to clear the water, but the request was allegedly neglected.

Akshaya's father works as a conductor with Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, and mother Geetha is a homemaker, hailed from Kolar. After Murthy's complaint, the garbage truck driver Manjunath has been arrested. But does the buck stop there? Will BBMP take responsibility for negligence?

In the complaint, Murthy has alleged that due to waterlogging in the subway, since Sunday, his daughter could not use it. A case will also be filed against BBMP who was alerted about the waterlogging and failed to act.

Even after the fatal accident, the subway remains inundated, indicating that the work is not being done properly. BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, who visited the spot has sought a detailed report from the engineers and is awaiting the police report. He has even promised due compensation to the family.

“It is an unfortunate incident. People should not take such risks. There is a skywalk and a pedestrian underpass that should have been used. Three to three-and-a-half-feet-high road dividers have been erected on the stretch to prevent people from crossing the road at grade level,” he said.