Death toll in Bengaluru building collapse rises to 5; rain continues to hamper rescue ops

The death toll from the building collapse in Bengaluru has risen to five as of Oct 23 morning. At least 17 people are feared to be trapped under the debris.

According to officials, over 10 individuals have been rescued so far, and five others have been injured.

Others are being rescued by teams from the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, fire and emergency departments, and a dog squad.

On Oct 22, the building that was still under construction in Bengaluru's eastern Horamavu Agara neighborhood fell. There were about 20 individuals inside the building when it collapsed.

Despite the city's ongoing heavy downpour, the rescue operations are still underway.

After being trapped for almost 16 hours, one of the individuals, Ayaaz, was rescued alive.

Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar visited the incident site on Oct 22 evening. He said that the building was being constructed illegally and promised that anyone responsible would face severe consequences. He said that 21 people were buried beneath the rubble.

"The search for the others continues. First we will complete the rescue work and then give a suitable solution. NDRF, SDRF rescue team, fire brigade, and police have done well. I have ordered action against the owners of buildings constructed illegally without permission in Bengaluru. This incident is a lesson for us,” wrote Shivkumar in a post on X.

“To prevent such incidents from reoccurring in the future, it will be made mandatory to obtain permission for the buildings, and a team will be deployed to monitor the buildings under construction," he added.

A “yellow” alert for heavy rains was issued throughout the day on October 22 by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which further hindered daily life in many parts of Bengaluru due to waterlogging.

The heaviest rainfall in 27 years was recorded in Bengaluru on Oct 21. Rainfall totaled 186.2 millimeters on Oct 21 recorded at the IMD's GKVK station in the north, breaking the previous record of 178.9 mm set in 1997.

The IT companies have allowed employees to work from home, and the local administration declared a holiday for schools on Oct 23.

Because of the rains, more than 100 lakes are overflowing in the city, causing roads to flood and the streets to become chaotic, creating inconvenience for commuters.

Approximately 1,500 homes were affected by the water. Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy criticized the Siddaramaiah government, claiming that the Congress had failed to deliver on their pledge to convert Bengaluru into Singapore and rather transformed it into Venice.