Two Journalists Suffer Fractures from Potholes Near Bengaluru Metro Stations

Two journalists working for The New Indian Express suffered foot fractures within a span of one week after falling into deep potholes while walking home at night near Kadugodi and Singayyanapalya in Bengaluru. The two incidents occurred on poorly lit and uneven stretches near Kadugodi Tree Park Metro Station and Phoenix Marketcity Mall.

On Tuesday after 10 p.m., feature journalist Sruthi Hemachandran suffered a hairline fracture in her ankle on MIMS Gulmohar Road near Kadugodi Tree Park Metro Station. Because the stretch lacked streetlights, she was using her mobile phone torch to navigate when she stepped into an undetected pothole and twisted her ankle. Doctors have advised her to take three weeks of bed rest. Hemachandran said the road leading to the metro station is in poor condition, even though it is frequently used by pedestrians and for two-wheeler parking.

A week earlier, journalist Pranav Shriram suffered two fractures on his foot while walking near Phoenix Marketcity Mall, close to Singayyanapalya Metro Station. Shriram was attempting to cross a small road near the entrance and parking area of the mall when he stepped into a deep pothole.

Shriram noted that the stretch features uneven footpaths, with some sections built too high and others too low. “I saw the pothole and tried to somehow balance myself, but I mislanded my foot,” Shriram said. An X-ray confirmed the two fractures, and he was placed in a cast. He has been advised six to seven weeks of bed rest and currently relies on a walker to move around.

Together, the two incidents highlight the daily hazards faced by pedestrians travelling at night in Bengaluru, where inadequate lighting, uneven footpaths, and deep road potholes pose severe safety risks.