Fire at undergarment factory, 20 fire engines put out blaze

A major fire broke out at a four-storey garment factory in Konanakunte Cross near Metro Cash and Carry on Kanakapura Road late Sunday night.

The Fire and Emergency Services sent 22 fire-tenders to the spot to douse the fire. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, a senior fire official said.

The fire broke out on the ground floor of Lovable Lingerie Ltd, an undergarment manufacturing unit at Guruprasanna Industrial Area in Doddakalsandara behind RMS International School around 8.30 pm.

The fire and the billowing smoke were spotted by a security guard of a neighbouring building who informed a passerby Gowrishankar, a civil engineer.

Gowrishankar called up the fire department. Initially, only a couple of fire tenders rushed to the spot, but after reaching the spot, they sought additional vehicles and water boosters as the fire was huge and was rapidly spreading, a fire officer said.

According to fire officials, the fire broke out from an electrical panel room on the ground floor and gradually spread, sparing the second floor. The cause of the fire, the officials suspect, was probably due to a short circuit.

"Factory workers who rushed to the spot told fire officials the total value of garments and raw materials burnt could amount to more than Rs 20 crore. However, we have to ascertain the exact quantity destroyed from the owner who is on his way from Mumbai, according to his employees," Puttaiah, Regional Fire Officer to DH.

"We have collected samples and will send them to the Forensic Science Laboratory to ascertain the cause of the fire," he added. The fire was doused only by Monday afternoon. Two standby fire-tenders were stationed at the spot to prevent a fire from flaring up again.