Bengaluru apartment complex fire: How work from office averted a bigger tragedy

The Ashrith Aspire apartment building, whose flat number 210 witnessed the tragic fire on Tuesday, has nearly 70 flats, inhabited by working professionals.

While most of the inhabitants are techies working at MNCs in Electronic City and the adjoining localities, a few flats are occupied by retired government officials and private company executives.

Most of the apartment dwellers, who had been working from home after the pandemic, had only recently begun to visit offices. And many were away at work when the fire broke out.

"The fire would have resulted in many more casualties but for the fact that many of the occupants had gone out for work,” said a resident of the apartment.

Residents who gathered outside the apartment found themselves utterly helpless as Bhagya Rekha, 52, screamed for help and was burnt alive in the balcony of her flat. Her husband, Bheemsen Rao put himself in danger trying to rescue her and his mother-in-law Lakshmidevi but neighbours dragged him out. He suffered minor burn injuries in the process and was rushed to hospital.

Rao’s son-in-law Sandeep later filed a complaint about the incident at the Begur police station.

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