A two-wheeler rider was killed and a car driver severely injured when a tree uprooted and fell over them on Margosa Road on Monday afternoon. On the other side of the city, a three-and-half-year-old boy, who was playing near the gate of his house, was seriously injured after a branch fell on him. He succumbed to injuries after battling for life three hours later.
The deceased have been identified as Fairoz Pasha (48), a resident of Kalyan Nagar, a food caterer who was on his way to work when the tree fell over him and Jeevan Kumar, who had just returned from school to his house in Vivekanagar. The injured has been identified as car driver Swamy (27), who sustained severe injuries and multiple fractures after the tree trunk fell over his car.
Swamy, who had a miraculous escape as he did not sustain any head injuries, is currently being treated at K.C. General Hospital.
The police said both Pasha and Mr. Swamy were driving from the side of the Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women towards Malleswaram.
“We were standing at a nearby bus stop and saw a tree suddenly fall over the vehicles. We ran to the spot and saw the two-wheeler rider stuck below the tree and a car severely damaged. More people rushed to the spot, broke the window panes of the car and extricated the driver. Both victims were rushed to the nearby K.C. General Hospital in an autorickshaw,” said Yuvaraj, an eye witness.
Another eye witness Yesu said they couldn’t get an ambulance for over half an hour and finally had to take the injured in autorickshaw. “Even the autorickshaw driver initially refused to take the injured to the hospital,” he said.
Police sources said that the tree fell on Pasha’s back, causing severe crush injuries and multiple fractures. He succumbed to death at the hospital. Meanwhile, Mr. Swamy has suffered fractures in his shoulder and rib cage. The police claimed that he was out of danger.
Shivaram, Deputy Range Forest officer, BBMP said that the tree that got uprooted was the Indian Cork Tree (Akash Mallige Tree) and is just over 20-years-old. “The tree was neither infected nor damaged. The tree may have got uprooted due to strong winds, rather than rains. We have now cut up the tree and cleared it from the road to clear it for traffic,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jeevan Kumar was playing near the gate around 1.45 p.m. after returning from pre-school when a tree opposite his house got uprooted. He sustained grievous head injury after a branch fell on him. His mother had just stepped inside home with his year-old young sister when the incident occurred.
His mother and neighbours immediately rushed the baby to NIMHANS, where he succumbed after battling for life for over three hours.
Ravi, a family friend, said that the family lived in Viveknagar for over 40 years. BBMP officials said the tree didn’t have brick-on-edge and was around 15-years-old.
