Seven dead as Bengaluru hospital wall collapses after rains, CM announces ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh, orders probe

CM pulls up officials as locals vent anger at safety of 30-year-old structure

Bengaluru: 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. The incident was allegedly triggered by heavy rain and additional construction load on the decades-old structure. 

The wall — about 12 feet high and one foot thick — gave way around 5.45 pm, trapping more than a dozen people. 

Some were vendors who had set up stalls on the footpath, while others were shoppers or passersby who had taken shelter from the rain. Local residents rushed the victims to the adjacent hospital before rescue workers arrived, officials said. 

"The rain began around 5 pm in the area and there was a thunderstorm. Around 5.45 pm, the wall collapsed all of a sudden. The bodies had to be pulled from under the rubble. Many people were injured; some may have lost their legs," a vendor and eyewitness told DH. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Vikram Amathe said the deceased included two women, four men and a girl child. Three of the seven injured are Kerala natives who were visiting Bengaluru, he added. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the victims in the hospital and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of each deceased. 

Visibly angry, he pulled up hospital staff and Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials for alleged negligence. He directed GBA officials to submit a detailed enquiry report into the circumstances that led to the incident, to fix responsibility, and to take appropriate action against those found negligent. 

Speaking to reporters, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said all debris had been cleared from the site. 

Rescue operations were delayed because four fire tenders were stuck in traffic due to fallen trees in the surrounding area, hampering access to the site during the critical initial minutes. 

Emergency services received as many as 27 distress calls within seven minutes following the collapse, indicating the scale of panic. 

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) disconnected power supply as a precautionary measure to avoid further hazards during rescue efforts. 

What caused the wall collapse? 

Sources said the collapse was likely caused by additional construction load exerted on the aging wall, which weakened its structure over time. 

Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said piles of mud from ongoing construction at Adi Shakthi Temple situated inside the hospital had been dumped behind the wall, which weakened it over time. 

The collapsed wall — said to be about 30 years old — gave way as the thunderstorm struck. 

Residents and local sources have blamed the GBA for "negligence" in monitoring construction and structural safety. 

Grief and anger

The grief of the victims' family members knew no bounds. 

Mohammed Suhail, whose brother was among the deceased, said, “My brother had been selling footwear on the footpath here for many years. He has a wife and two young children. It is very unfortunate that this has happened. I feel lost without him.” 

Ahmed Khan, a relative of another victim, vented anger at the authorities. "After the incident, everyone comes here to express grief but nobody does anything to stop such onward incidents." 

Arshad, the MLA, said the vendors had been doing business on the footpath for decades. "They were all licensed vendors. We did not vacate them following high court orders," he said.

The injured

Preethi, 51

Sija, 45

Maya, 51

(All hail from Ernakulam district, Kerala, and were visiting Bengaluru)

Jabeen Taj, 47

Mubeen Taj, 49

Azzu, 35

Mohammed Sajid, 21, originally from Bihar

(All are residents of Bengaluru)