Potholes on Bengaluru roads have caused several accidents in recent months
A pothole has resulted in the death of a 45-year-old woman in Bengaluru. The woman was riding pillion with her daughter when their two-wheeler skidded off a pothole and she was thrown off the seat, before being run over by a bus yesterday. She was under treatment at Rajajinagar ESI Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries today.
The victim has been identified as Uma Devi. One of her daughters, Vanitha, was riding the two-wheeler when the accident occurred on one of the busiest roads in Rajajinagar, outside Lulu Mall.
The doctors had initially said the injured woman was responding to treatment and was out of danger, one of her daughters said yesterday.
A police officer said: "The accident occurred after the rider lost balance as the two-wheeler skidded off a pothole. The pillion rider fell off the two-wheeler and a bus ran over her. We have detained the bus driver." The driver, however, was later released on bail.
Last month, the Karnataka High Court had rapped Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city's civic body, for failing to provide basic civic amenities such as good roads. The court had even directed the civic body to take up the work of filling up of potholes on a war footing.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Tushar Girinath, the BBMP Commissioner, said: "I am not sure how the accident took place. Traffic Police are investigating the case. A compensation has not been announced yet. Once the FIR (first information report) is registered, we will know the details."
BBMP has taken up road asphalting work on 2,500km, covering more than 11,000 city roads. BBMP officials claim that this project will be completed by January 2023, under the Chief Minister's Amruth Nagrothana grant of Rs 6,000 crore.