Auto driver Mahesh was passing through Vidyapeetha stretch when a tree fell on his vehicle. IMD officials said until 8.30pm Thursday, city got 17.8mm rainfall

BENGALURU: Heavy thunderstorms that lashed several parts of Bengaluru Thursday evening claimed the life of a 45-year-old autorickshaw driver on Kathriguppe main road in the south and left a trail of damage across the city.
The hour-long rain, along with strong gusty winds with a speed of 35-40kmph, uprooted about 10 trees in several localities, and brought down branches and snapped electricity transmission lines disrupting normal life of the citizens.

Police said the deceased autorickshaw driver, Mahesh, was a resident of Ittamadu, near Kathriguppe. “The tragedy struck around 7.45pm when Mahesh was passing through the Vidyapeetha stretch. He was driving alone at the time of the accident when a roadside tree fell on him causing severe injuries. He died before citizens shifted him to an ambulance,” a police official from Banashankari Traffic Police station said.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) sources said areas in and around the central business district, Hebbal, Sanjaynagar, Nagawara, Jayanagar, Vijayanagar, Jnanabharati, JP Nagar and Banashankari received heavy rainfall. “A few of the residents from T Dasarahalli, Nelamangala, Chikkabanavara, 8th mile and Vidyaranyapura also reported hailstorms,” an IMD official explained.
The sudden rain left hundreds of motorists stranded on the streets as several roads were flooded. In some low-lying areas, motorists were seen wading through the flooding waters.
House collapses near Kogilu Cross
BBMP officials said a huge tree fell on the compound of a residence near the BDA complex in Banashankari II Stage and damaged the wall completely. An underpass along Outer Ring Road in Kumaraswamy Layout was under water and a house collapsed near Kogilu Cross.
IMD officials said that until 8.30pm Thursday, Bengaluru city received 17.8mm rainfall, and HAL (Eastern parts) 13mm rainfall. “What started as a drizzle around 6.30pm developed into thunderstorms over parts of north, central, south and west Bengaluru. The rain continued until midnight,” a senior IMD scientist said.