A 49-year-old auto driver, who sustained injuries in a tree fall on Friday evening following rains in the city and was being treated at a private hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Friday night. He had suffered severe head injuries after a tree fell on his autorickshaw in Vijayanagar.
The deceased has been identified as Shivarudraiah. He is survived by his wife and two girls.
A BBMP official said even as a final decision on compensation is yet to be taken, his family will likely be paid a compensation of ₹5 lakh. This is the first casualty reported this year owing to monsoon. However, at least five others have been injured in tree fall incidents in the city since the onset of monsoon this year.
In Friday’s incident, the tree uprooted and fell on the autorickshaw owing to weakened roots, a senior official from the BBMP Forest Cell said. The city had also received moderate rainfall in the late evening hours on Friday.
As the tree fell on the autorickshaw, it pierced the roof, and fell on the head of the driver and he started to bleed. Though he was rushed to a nearby hospital immediately, he reportedly did not respond to treatment and succumbed to his injuries by 10.30 p.m.
53 trees uprooted in August
A BBMP Forest Cell official said that a total of 53 trees had been uprooted and 92 tree branches had fallen in the city since August 1. The official said that they had also removed 250 trees and 756 branches that were weak, as a preventive measure, during the same period.
“We are removing weak and dry trees on a regular basis. This is an unfortunate incident which should not have happened. The forest cell will speed up the work to ensure such incidents will not repeat in the future,” the official said.
Published - August 18, 2024 06:00 am IST
