Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 30: Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured after a compound wall at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Shivajinagar collapsed on Wednesday evening, reportedly following heavy rain and structural stress.
The wall, around 12 feet high and a foot thick, collapsed at about 5.45 pm, trapping more than a dozen people beneath the debris. Victims included roadside vendors, shoppers, and passersby who had taken shelter from the rain.
Local residents rushed the injured to the nearby hospital even before rescue teams reached the spot. Eyewitnesses said a thunderstorm had struck the area shortly before the collapse.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Vikram Amathe confirmed that the deceased included two women, four men, and a young girl. Among the injured are three visitors from Kerala.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the hospital and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lac for the families of each deceased. He also directed authorities to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident and fix responsibility.
Expressing anger over alleged negligence, the Chief Minister pulled up hospital authorities and Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials, seeking accountability for the lapse.
Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the debris had been cleared from the site. However, rescue efforts were initially delayed as fire tenders struggled to reach the spot due to fallen trees and traffic congestion.
Officials said emergency services received 27 distress calls within minutes of the incident, highlighting the scale of panic. Power supply in the area was temporarily cut off by BESCOM as a precaution during rescue operations.
Preliminary findings suggest that the collapse may have been caused by additional load from nearby construction activity on the ageing wall, which is believed to be around 30 years old. Local sources alleged that mud from ongoing construction within the hospital premises had been piled up against the wall, weakening its structure.
Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said the vendors operating in the area had been doing business for decades and were licensed.
Family members of the victims expressed grief and anger, alleging negligence by authorities. “After such incidents, everyone expresses sorrow, but no steps are taken to prevent them,” a relative of one of the deceased said.
The injured have been admitted to hospital, with authorities continuing to monitor their condition.