Karnataka Orders Statewide Hospital Safety Audit After Bowring Collapse Kills 7

Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, Sharan Prakash Patil made the announcement after visiting Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru, where he inspected the site of the tragedy and met the injured.

Speaking to reporters, he said directions have been issued to conduct inspections at all hospitals across the state, with a special focus on Bengaluru. He added that a quality check of compound walls and buildings has been ordered at Bowring Hospital, Victoria Hospital, KC General Hospital, CV Raman Nagar Hospital, as well as all other government-run hospitals in Bengaluru.

He further said that authorities have been instructed to carry out inspections and submit a report within a week. Minister Patil held a meeting with senior bureaucrats of concerned departments in this regard and asked them to take the matter seriously.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall across the state over the next three days and issued a yellow alert for several districts.

A yellow alert has been sounded for Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Chamarajanagara, Ramanagara, Kolar, Yadgir, Gadag, Raichur, Bagalkot, Koppal and Dharwad districts.

Similarly, Ballari, Vijayanagara, Haveri, Davanagere, Shivamogga, Chitradurga, Udupi, Mangaluru, Tumakuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Mysuru and Mandya districts have also been placed under a yellow alert.

It can be recalled that at least seven people were killed, including a girl child and two tourists from Kerala, after a compound wall of Bowring Hospital collapsed during heavy rain, hail, and a thunderstorm that lashed several parts of Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Seven people, including five women, were injured in the incident.

Announcing compensation, the Chief Minister said that Rs 5 lakh would be provided to the families of the deceased.

He also instructed officials to ensure free treatment for the injured.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed deep shock over the tragedy and questioned officials on the steps taken to prevent such incidents.

He stated that the mishap could have been avoided if adequate precautions had been taken and reprimanded officials for their negligence.

The incident occurred near Bowring Hospital, where the wall reportedly fell on street vendors and others who had taken shelter from the rain.

Expressing shock over the tragic incident in the city, the Karnataka BJP on Wednesday said the death of seven people, due to the collapse of a compound wall at Bowring Hospital in Shivajinagar following heavy rain has caused deep anguish.

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy expressed deep shock over the deaths of the seven people.

- IANS