Pothole death again! 12-yr-old killed

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: The BBMP has launched a drive to fill potholes in the city but it’s not happening fast enough and this became evident on Saturday when a 12-year-old girl was killed in a horrendous accident on Varthur Main Road, coming under the wheels of a concrete mixer truck after the two-wheeler she was travelling on, skidded on a stretch ridden with potholes. Two boys, aged 10 and seven years, were seriously injured in the mishap while their mother had a providential escape.

The cops shifted the body to Vydehi Hospital for a post-mortem. It is said that the victims fell off the scooter after it skidded with the girl run over by the truck. “She died on the spot while her two brothers are seriously injured,’’ said Jatheendra, a police head constable. The tragic incident has shocked residents of Varthur who blamed the BBMP authorities and elected representatives for the accident. They said that they have been demanding that measures be taken for asphalting the road which has been neglected for more than three years in vain. “Funds were allocated in 2019 but till date, the road remains the same.

Many people have been injured in the past due to the potholes. It is a herculean task for motorists to commute on this road during the monsoon,’’ said Jagadish Reddy of ‘Varthur Rising.’

Coming down heavily on the BBMP for not asphalting the road, Vasudev P of Varthur Rising said, “The problem with BBMP is that they are allowing the contractor to asphalt the road as per his whims and fancies. Two days ago, the contractor had asphalted 100-metres of the road but did not bother to complete the remaining part,’’ he said.