Pre-monsoon fury in Bengaluru; Father-minor son electrolucted while pumping out water from flooded apartment basement

Bengaluru: Three people, including a 12-year-old boy, died in rain-related incidents in Bengaluru as the city was battered by intense pre-monsoon showers that brought 104 mm of rainfall on May 18, well above the forecast.

In one incident, Manmohan Kamath (63) and Dinesh (12), the son of a Nepalese resident, were electrocuted while attempting to pump out water from the flooded basement of an apartment complex in BTM Second Stage, Dollars Colony, NS Palya.

"Manmohan Kamath was connecting a motor to remove the water when the incident occurred," said Sarah Fathima, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South East Bengaluru. Both were declared dead at a nearby hospital. Police confirmed that Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs) have been registered in both cases.

Earlier on Monday, Sasikala (35) was killed when a compound wall collapsed on her while she was sweeping the premises of a private company under Mahadevapura Police Station limits.

Reacting to the fatalities, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed condolences and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Sasikala’s family. "The rainfall was heavier than expected — 104 mm was recorded. On May 21, DK Shivakumar and I, along with all Bengaluru MLAs, will tour the city to take stock of the situation," he said.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall over Karnataka on May 20 and 21. Widespread rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds (30–50 kmph), is expected to persist across much of south peninsular India, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Lakshadweep.