A 20-year-old was killed and two others injured when a bike they were riding fell into a pit over 20 feet deep dug up by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on SMV Road near Kommaghatta Club, Kengeri, on Sunday, April 14, night.
The deceased has been identified as Saddam Hussain, 20. The injured are Umraz Pasha, 25, and Mubarak Pasha, also in his twenties. They have sustained multiple injuries and have been admitted to a private hospital.
They were returning home after visiting friends when the accident occurred. They were riding triples on a scooter.
Cauvery Stage V pipeline work
The BWSSB had begun work to lay a water pipeline under the Cauvery Stage V project. It had also put up two barricades around the pit, which is more than 20 feet deep. While one barricade was erected a few yards away from the pit to warn motorists, another was erected right next to the pit’s perimeter.
Saddam Hussein crossed over the first barricade, which was slightly open for pedestrians, but crashed into the second one, resulting in the scooter and the trio falling into the pit, traffic police said. Saddam lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the barricade, the police added.
A few passers-by alerted the police. They rushed to the spot and shifted the three injured to a nearby hospital, where Saddam Hussein was declared “brought dead”. He was not wearing a helmet and had suffered head injuries. The other two are being treated.
Kengeri Traffic Police have registered a case of causing death due to negligence against both Saddam Hussein and the concerned BWSSB engineer.
BWSSB Chairman V. Ram Prasath Manohar, who visited the spot, said the water board had taken all necessary precautionary measures to ensure there were no such accidents. “We are sad that despite taking all precautionary measures such an accident has happened. A case has been filed with the police, and if the investigation finds any lapses, we will take action against the concerned officials,” he said.
