3 dead, 7 feared trapped in Bengaluru building collapse

BENGALURU: Three people died Tuesday in rain-triggered tragedies in Bengaluru, including a labourer who was crushed when a seven-storey building under construction collapsed.

A huge arc of Bengaluru was battered by record-shattering rain from late Monday night to early Tuesday, leaving 1,200 houses flooded, more than 20 roads and subways inundated and several apartment complexes and a residential layout marooned.

The city received 186.2mm rainfall - its highest in 24 hours - eclipsing the earlier high of 178.9mm on October 1, 1997. On Monday, a woman riding pillion had died after falling off on a potholed stretch amid torrential downpour since Sunday. The woes brimmed over Tuesday. In addition to the labourer who died in building collapse in Hennur of east Bengaluru, seven others were feared trapped, while 10 were rescued, two of them are in critical condition. Officials suspected heavy rain in the past 10 days reportedly weakened the structure, causing it to cave in.

In second tragedy , siblings Srinivas, 13, and Mahalakshmi, 11 drowned in Kengeri lake Monday, and their bodies were fished out Tuesday.