Bengaluru auto driver dies after tree falls on his vehicle amid heavy rain: Report

A 49-year-old auto driver, Shivarudraiah, succumbed to severe head injuries after a tree fell on his autorickshaw in Vijayanagar during Friday evening's rains.

In a tragic incident in Bengaluru, a 49-year-old auto driver, who was injured when a tree fell on his vehicle during Friday evening's rains, passed away later that night while receiving treatment at a private hospital. The incident occurred in the Vijayanagar area, where the driver, who has been identified as Shivarudraiah, suffered severe head injuries after the tree crashed onto his autorickshaw, The Hindu reported.

The BBMP is expected to compensate his family with ₹5 lakh as the first monsoon-related fatality this year. (Praful Gangurde/HT photo)

Shivarudraiah is survived by his wife and two daughters.

An official from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) - Bengaluru civic administrative body - spoke to reporters and said, while the compensation amount has not been finalized, the family is expected to receive ₹5 lakh. This is the first fatality due to monsoon-related incidents in the city this year. However, five others have been injured in similar tree-fall incidents since the monsoon began, the report noted.

On Friday, the tree, weakened by its roots, was uprooted and fell on the autorickshaw, a senior official from the BBMP Forest Cell told the publication. The city experienced moderate rainfall later that evening.

The impact of the tree on the autorickshaw was severe, as it pierced the roof and struck the driver's head, causing heavy bleeding. Although he was quickly taken to a nearby hospital, he did not respond to treatment and was pronounced dead at around 10:30 pm.

As many as 53 trees have been uprooted and 92 tree branches have fallen across the city since the beginning of the month, according to another BBMP Forest Cell official. Additionally, 250 trees and 756 branches that were identified as weak have been removed as a preventive measure.

The official emphasized that efforts are ongoing to regularly remove weak and dry trees. This unfortunate incident should not have happened, and the forest cell will expedite work to prevent such tragedies in the future, the official ensured.