Bengaluru  (ANI): Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday accused the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials of negligence in taking up precautionary measures against heavy rains, despite warnings from the Meteorological Department.

Talking to the media persons in Bengaluru, Bommai said, “It was painful that the life of a woman was snuffed out in rains that lashed only for a few hours in the State capital on Sunday.”

“Heavy rains and underpass waterlogging happened earlier also but I don’t remember any death happening before…this (death) could have been avoided and timely action by BBMP could have saved the life. There are some lapses, needs to look into it”: Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on the death of techie due to the waterlogging in the underpass

He added that this incident took place only due to the negligence of the BBMP officials. Soon after the incident, the civic body officials never went to the rescue of the affected people.

“We have formed SDRF teams in Bengaluru but that needs to be launched and given more work. The Meteorological department has predicted heavy rains in the next five days,” he said.

He added, “Required precautions must be taken on war footing as several trees have fallen across the city. Those trees have not been cleared yet. If allowed as it remains, there will be chaos in Bengaluru.”

He further said, “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah must take immediate steps in this direction. In BBMP, some officials work continuously and many don’t work at all. Proper planning must be done in advance”.

An FIR was registered at Bengaluru’s Halasuru Gate Police Station in connection with the death of a 23-year-old woman after a car gets submerged in the flooded underpass in Bengaluru’s K.R. Circle on Sunday, police said.

The woman has been identified as Bhanurekha. An FIR was registered on the complaint filed by her brother Sandeep.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met the family members of 23-year-old woman Bhanurekha who died after drowning in the waterlogged underpass in the KR Circle area in Bengaluru.

Severe water-logging was witnessed in an underpass in the KR circle area in Bengaluru after heavy rain lashed the city. Earlier, several people stuck in the underpass were safely rescued and taken to the hospital.

Heavy rainfall and hailstorms lashed Bengaluru on Sunday leading to severe water-logging in several parts of the city.