E-Paper
Biker skids on waterlogged road, run over by truck in Bengaluru
A 22-year-old mechanic has been killed, while his friend suffered injuries after they were run over by a truck when their bike skidded on a waterlogged road.
Waterlogging has led to yet another death in Bengaluru. A month after a girl was run over while she was crossing the old Airportto avoid a waterlogged subway similar mishap killed a biker on Monday night.
A 22-year-old mechanic has died, while his friend suffered injuries after they were run over by a truck when their bike skidded on a waterlogged road in Bengaluru. The duo were on their way back home after shopping from Shivajinagar when their bike skidded at Sampangiramnagar road near Corporation Circle due to waterlogging, after heavy rains.
Summer showers in the Karnataka capital turned fatal for another man last week, when 21-year-old Vasant got electrocuted when he came in close contact with an electric pole. A case of negligence was then registered at Chandra layout Police Station against the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM).
In the latest incident, the deceased has been identified as Mohammed Ali, while his friend Mubarak Ahmed, who suffered some injuries, has been admitted to a private hospital. Ali was said to be a resident of the Kalasipalayam area. While he died on the spot from the impact of the truck, Ahmed also took a hit, but is undergoing treatment and is said to be in a stable condition with no risk to life.
Ali was reportedly working in an automobile shop with Ahmed. Police have told The New Indian Express that the tragedy happened after Ahmed lost control of the bike on the waterlogged road and the two fell down after the bike skidded. A truck that was speeding behind them ran over the two from behind.
According to reports, the Wilson Garden traffic police rushed to the spot and shifted Ahmed to a private hospital in Madiwala. However, it is not clear whether the case was a hit-and-run, or whether the truck driver has been apprehended.
After multiple deaths were recorded of late due to various reasons ranging from potholes, bad roads, water-filled underpasses, road accidents and now waterlogging, many concerns have been raised, questioning the city's administrative body - the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) failure in preventing these mishaps and ensuring smooth administration. The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday reportedly directed the BBMP to issue work orders within 36 hours to undertake further pothole-filling works in the city.
As Bengaluru got severely waterlogged after unprecedented rains this month, the BBMP, in a desperate attempt to restore public faith, carried out an emergency operation last week in the waterlogged areas to clear blockages to ensure smooth passage of traffic and safe movement. The body has reportedly cleared out many fallen trees as well.
The BBMP has on Monday issued a new order to better maintain Bengaluru's roads, which requires agencies like the BWSSB and BMRCL to fix roads dug by them to lay underground utilities within a limited timeframe.
Road safety has been made worse by this year's summer showers in the city reaching a new milestone by recording its wettest April in seven years. The rains that came in the form of relief from the garish sun and high temperatures soon turned deadly, uprooting trees, causing tons of damage to houses and hitting several businesses.
