Freak accident snuffs out migrant workers’ lives in Bengaluru

Three people were killed after two rooftop water tanks reportedly burst and broke the parapet that came crashing down on them in central Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The accident occurred around 10.45 pm on Central Street opposite the Imperial restaurant in Shivajinagar.

The two tanks with a capacity of 5,000 litres each were installed on a five-storey commercial building that houses the furniture store Oak Town. The owner of the building Raghu lives on the ground floor.

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Police noted that the tanks were placed on a heightened platform that was precariously close to the edge of the building, and were on a weakened base. One of their theories was that direct exposure to heat could have led to a buildup of pressure inside the tanks, causing them to burst and break open the parapet.

The debris from the broken wall is said to have led to the deaths of the three people, who had gathered to eat egg rice at a vending cart parked on the footpath.

A video shot by a passerby shows the twisted cart, broken plastic and debris strewn on the footpath and the road as traffic piles up.

Migrant victims

Of the three victims was a vegetable vendor named Arul, 45, a Tamil Nadu native who lived in Shivajinagar. He frequently ate dinner there and was a good friend of Das, the owner of the vending cart, said the police.

The second victim was Kote Nageswara Rao, 32, who was an HR employee at a private financial company and lived in BTM Layout 1st Stage.

He was identified only on Thursday as the police initially couldn't find any identification marks or documents on him.

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Police noted that he had apparently stopped by the vendor’s cart before heading to his office for a night shift.

He had taken a week’s leave to be with his family for the birth of his 10-day-old child last month. His brother Raghavendra noted that Rao had been married for just over a year.

Some of his friends spoke to DH and demanded governmental support for his family. "We need financial and moral support for his family as they are poor. He was the only son to support his family. I think the Karnataka government and other people will help and support (his family)," said Santosh, one of his roommates.

The third victim, Kamal Thapa, a native of Nepal, worked in housekeeping at an architecture firm on Cunningham Road.

He breathed his last on Thursday morning at Victoria Hospital after being in a critical condition throughout the night.

Three other people suffered minor injuries, including Das, who miraculously survived. The second person has been identified as Daniel while the third person has yet to be identified by the police.

Three more people could have been caught under the debris but patrolling officers directed them to move from the spot just minutes before the accident, he added.

An eyewitness said the vending cart was less crowded than usual.

Police worked to clear the debris overnight. They have informed BBMP engineers to visit the spot and check the conditions of the building and the tank's foundation. The cause of the accident can be confirmed only after a forensic analysis following an inspection by the BBMP.

A senior BBMP official said buildings with four or more floors must have a three-metre setback. The building in question doesn't seem to have that.