Bengaluru Auto Driver Dies After Tree Fall, BBMP to Provide Compensation

In a tragic incident on Friday evening, a 49-year-old auto driver named Shivarudraiah died after a tree fell on his vehicle during rains in Bengaluru’s Vijayanagar area. The tree, weakened by its roots, crashed onto his autorickshaw, causing severe head injuries to Shivarudraiah. Despite being rushed to a private hospital, he succumbed to his injuries around 10:30 pm, The Hindu reported.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has announced that Shivarudraiah’s family will receive a compensation of ₹5 lakh, as this incident marks the first monsoon-related fatality in the city this year. So far, five other individuals have been injured in similar incidents since the onset of the monsoon.

The tree’s collapse, due to moderate rainfall that evening, resulted in the autorickshaw’s roof piercing and critically injuring the driver. BBMP Forest Cell officials noted that efforts are ongoing to address the issue, with 53 trees and 92 branches uprooted since the beginning of the month. Additionally, 250 trees and 756 branches deemed weak have been removed as a preventive measure.

The BBMP official stressed the importance of continuing to monitor and manage the city’s tree population to prevent such tragedies in the future.

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