Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru/Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai

Bengaluru/Thiruvananthapuram/Chennai, May 20: Heavy rains lashing parts of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu over the past two days have triggered floods, casualties, and major disruptions, prompting widespread alerts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

In Bengaluru, relentless downpours flooded key areas like Silk Board Junction and BTM Layout, paralysing traffic and daily life. The city recorded 105 mm of rain overnight and 30 mm in the past 24 hours.

Tragedy struck with three rain-related deaths in the city two persons were electrocuted in an apartment at BTM Layout, while another died in a wall collapse at a tech park in Mahadevapura. Lightning strikes in Raichur and Karwar claimed two more lives, taking the rain-related death toll in Karnataka to five.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the government has identified 210 flood-prone zones in Bengaluru and allocated Rs 2,000 cr for stormwater drain development. The IMD has placed Bengaluru under orange alert, while Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada remain on yellow alert.

In Kerala, red alerts were issued for Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, and Kozhikode, with warnings of possible landslides in hilly areas. The state is bracing for the earliest monsoon onset since 2009, expected within the next few days.

Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai, three people, including a 10-year-old boy, died in a wall collapse triggered by heavy rain. Showers are expected to continue across several districts, with Chennai likely to see rainfall till May 26.

Authorities across the three states have urged residents to stay indoors and avoid non-essential travel as the region prepares for further rainfall and a potentially early monsoon onset.