Bengaluru On Heavy Rain Alert, 2 Labourers Dead After Heavy Showers

Two people have died in Bengaluru, where southwest monsoon-triggered thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain have led to water-logging and power failure in many parts of the city. The weather department has issued an orange alert in many parts of rural and urban Bengaluru predicting heavy rain for the next 4-5 days.

The two people killed in the rain worked as labourers in Ullal upanagar. The bodies of the two men - one from Bihar and another from Uttar Pradesh - were found at a pipeline work site, officials said.

"The dead have been identified as Devbharath from Bihar and Ankit Kumar from Uttar Pradesh. Around 5 pm yesterday, the rain intensified. The labourers were at the site, and around 7 pm the water levels rose. We are assessing the safety measures taken on a daily basis there," a police official told NDTV.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of those who died and Rs 25,000 each to those whose houses have been affected.

According to reports, the city received above 155 mm of rain, which started in the evening and intensified late last night.

Videos showed several low-lying areas in knee-deep water and vehicles and people wading through it. A Mercedes SUV, with its two wheels in the air, was seen stuck on a city road in one of the videos.

"It is very difficult for us to commute. Every year, the situation is the same," said Grace DSouza, a bank employee, who has been using the KR Puram underpass for the past five years.

Metro services were also briefly affected as the Metro on Green Line had to be stopped due to power failure caused by the thunderstorms.

The areas affected were: JP Nagar, Jayanagar, Lalbagh, Chickpet, Majestic, Malleswaram, Rajajinagar, Yeshwantpur, MG Road, Cubbon Park, Vijayanagar, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Kengeri, Magadi Road and Mysore Road, among others.