One dead as heavy rains lash Bangalore

BANGALORE - Heavy rains lashed Bangalore for over two hours Saturday and claimed the life of an autorickshaw driver after a huge tree feel on his vehicle, police said.

Srinivas, 40, died instantly near Richmond Park in Shantinagar following heavy winds and rains, police inspector N. Radhakrishna told IANS. He was driving through the rain without a passenger.

According to a met official, the city received about 50 mm rain during the two-hour spell.

“Though we recorded 14 mm rainfall till 2.30 p.m., we estimate the heavy spell would have resulted in 50 mm rain by 4.30 p.m. when it subsided,” the official said.

Admitting it was the season’s heaviest spell of rain in the city, the official said rain and thundershowers were expected to continue for a few more weeks.

“Rainfall has been below normal this season, with the city recording only 226 mm unlike last year when it was more than the average. We expect more rains to make up for the shortfall over two weeks,” the official pointed out.

After the downpour, thoroughfares and roads were choc-a-bloc with stranded vehicles struggling to move ahead even as rain water inundated several low-laying areas. Overflowing drains flooded localities.