Fire breaks out at hotel in Bengaluru's Majestic during lunch hour; quick action saves day

A fire broke out at a six-storey hotel in the heart of Bengaluru during the lunch hour on Wednesday but there were no casualties as the staff and customers were evacuated quickly, officials said.

Plumes of black smoke rising from the rooftop of Sukh Sagar Hotel located in Gandhinagar caught the attention of passersby around 2.20 pm. One of them, a man named Harish, called the fire brigade.

Around the same, a police sub-inspector on his way to Freedom Park also witnessed the smoke and called the fire department as well as the police, requisitioning necessary arrangements to douse the fire and evacuate the people.

The quick response helped dispatch a water tanker and bowser to the scene, and firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other floors. The fire was fully controlled by 4.30 pm.

That the fire broke out during daytime helped quickly evacuate everyone from the building, said an officer from the jurisdictional Upparpet police station. The same may not have been possible if it was night, he added.

Commenting on what caused the fire, Ganesh S Vernekar, District Fire Officer, said it likely started on the rooftop, which has a kitchen and a big dormitory for 80 hotel staff. The wires of air conditioners and other electrical connections are located there.

“We suspect that the wires were melted by the summer heat, resulting in the fire,” he added. The wires, some small furniture and the staff’s belongings were destroyed in the fire, Vernekar said.

Police have not yet received a formal complaint from the building owner.

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