The fire that broke out on the first floor of the Public Utility Building (PUB) in Bangalore confirms long-standing apprehensions over the state of the building’s infrastructure to cope with emergencies. At least six shops were gutted – two of them seriously – in the fire. Several people were injured and fortunately, there have been no deaths. Right from its inauguration 37 years ago, the 24-floor PUB’s infrastructure has been a matter of concern. Engineers and fire station personnel have repeatedly warned that the building’s construction is deeply flawed, making it a fire trap. It did not even have an alternative emergency staircase for use in the event of a fire until six years ago, when this was rectified as part of a multi-million rupee project that also included setting up sprinklers, hooters and a public address system. Civic authorities claimed then that they had made the building fire-proof. Thursday’s fire lays bare the hollowness of these claims.

None of the PUB’s fire-fighting equipment functioned when the fire broke out. Fire and smoke sensors as well as extinguishers and hydrants were found to be useless. Had the fire broken out on a higher floor, it would have been a disaster as low water pressure would have stood in the way of extinguishing the fire. What saved the PUB and its occupants from disaster on Thursday was the timely arrival of fire engines, thanks to the location of a fire station next door. However, the number of fire engines was found to be inadequate and more had to be requisitioned from elsewhere.

There are several public buildings in Bangalore which, like the PUB, are veritable death traps. Civic authorities have sanctioned these buildings without checking to see if safety norms have been met. Some of these buildings are swanky in appearance but in terms of quality of building materials used, the kind of electrical wiring done or availability of emergency equipment, these are buildings waiting for disaster to happen. There have been several accidents in malls, all wholly avoidable had safety standards been met in their construction. It is obvious that licences are being awarded despite buildings not meeting norms. Building authorities are not doing enough to maintain equipment. There is a need for an independent probe into the PUB fire and an assessment of safety systems in place in other buildings. An investigation by government-appointed officials will not do as it is the role of government officials that is under the scanner.