As monsoon showers lashed Bengaluru, a flooded apartment complex turned deadly—claiming two lives by electrocution and another by a collapsing wall.
Tragedy in BTM Layout as Flooded Basement Turns into Death Trap
It started like any other monsoon evening in Bengaluru, but it ended with two families shattered. At around 6 PM on Monday, in the BTM Layout area, 63-year-old Manmohan Kamath and 12-year-old Dinesh died by electrocution while trying to clear floodwater from their apartment complex’s cellar.
Kamath, a longtime resident of the building, had reportedly brought in a motor from outside to help drain out stagnant water. What he didn’t know—or couldn’t have known—was that the area had become a ticking time bomb. “Kamath connected the pump to an external power source,” explained Sarah Fathima, Deputy Commissioner of Police for the South East Division. “A short circuit occurred during the process, and he got electrocuted. Dinesh, the boy helping him, also got shocked and died instantly.”
One was a man trying to help his neighbors. The other, a child simply lending a hand.
Their bodies were taken to St John’s Hospital for a postmortem.
A Wall Collapses in Whitefield, Taking a Life with It
Hours before the double electrocution, another life had already been lost. In Whitefield, a 35-year-old housekeeper was killed when a compound wall collapsed after relentless rain pounded the area overnight.
She had no clue she was standing in danger’s way.
With several buildings in the city still flouting drainage and wall safety norms, these so-called freak accidents aren’t so freak after all.
This isn’t the first time Bengaluru’s infamous rainwater mismanagement has turned fatal. Sadly, it probably won’t be the last.
City Drenched, Roads Sunk, Basements Flooded: The Chaos Unfolds
The city was pounded by more than six straight hours of heavy rain late Sunday night into Monday. It wasn’t a gentle drizzle—this was the heaviest rainfall Bengaluru has seen this year.
Entire streets looked like canals. Low-lying areas, basements, and underpasses were submerged. In parts of Koramangala and HSR Layout, residents used buckets and pots to bail water out of their living rooms.
By dawn, the chaos was everywhere:
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Traffic crawled at a snail’s pace in arterial zones like Outer Ring Road.
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Trees fell across multiple neighborhoods, crushing parked vehicles.
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Metro services were briefly disrupted due to waterlogging near entrances.
One resident of BTM Layout, where the electrocution deaths occurred, said, “We’ve complained about the drainage system for years. Now two people are dead. What more does it take?”
The Blame Game Begins, But Fixes Remain Elusive
On Monday night, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited the affected areas. His words were sober but predictable. “We’re deeply saddened by the loss of lives. We’ll ensure compensation and action,” he told reporters.
But this isn’t new. After every rain-induced tragedy, officials promise reforms. They rarely stick.
Back in 2023, the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) mapped 210 flood-prone zones across the city. Here’s where we stand now:
Critics argue the number doesn’t tell the full story. “Fixed? That just means they laid a pipe and walked away,” said a civic activist in Whitefield. “There’s no proper water outlet or maintenance plan.”
Electric Motors, Flooded Basements and a Lack of Precautions
Electrocution during flooding isn’t a freak occurrence—it’s entirely preventable. Safety experts have warned time and again about the dangers of using electric pumps in wet areas. But in apartment complexes, residents often take matters into their own hands.
Power outages followed by sudden returns of electricity often create a surge, leading to short circuits—especially when water seeps into power lines or sockets. And while BBMP and BESCOM continue to shift responsibility, ordinary people bear the consequences.
Some practical steps being overlooked include:
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Avoid using external electric motors during flood situations.
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Ensure waterproofing of basements and generator rooms.
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Demand ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in flood-prone buildings.
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Immediate shutdown of power supply in submerged areas until cleared by professionals.
City on Edge: Families Mourn, While Monsoon Season Has Just Begun
Three lives. One day. And it’s only May. The monsoon has barely begun, but Bengaluru has already witnessed fatal gaps in infrastructure and accountability.
And there’s fear in the air. One resident in Whitefield asked quietly, “If the next rain is worse, what do we do? Where do we go?”
