<p>Bengaluru: A massive fire gutted 21 shops in a three-storey commercial complex in Chickpet’s Pete area on Wednesday morning, causing panic in the busy locality.</p><p>The blaze broke out in Kumbarpet, off Avenue Road, around 6.30 am. As most shops were closed, a major tragedy was averted.</p><p>Police pegged the loss around Rs 2.5 crore.</p><p>Fire officials suspect the blaze began in a fancy store on the first floor and spread rapidly due to highly inflammable materials such as perfumes and plastic goods stored in bulk. Poor ventilation in the narrow building intensified the flames within minutes. The gutted shops sold fancy items, perfumes, toys, printing materials and hardware.</p><p>A worker from the fancy store sustained minor burns while trying to extinguish the fire. He was taken to hospital and discharged after first aid.</p>.Fire guts over 50 sheds near Kudlu Gate in Bengaluru.<p>Workers and nearby occupants were evacuated as a precaution. The fire control room received a call at 8.40 am, nearly two hours after the blaze is believed to have started.</p><p>“Shopkeepers and local residents tried to douse the fire themselves fearing a police case. When it did not come under control, only then did they call the fire force around 8.40 am. We deployed 14 fire tenders. Two of them have been kept on standby near the scene until Thursday as a precaution,” Jayaramaiah PS, Chief Fire Officer, Bengaluru East Zone, told DH.</p><p>Firefighters battled the flames for more than eight hours and brought it under control around 4.30 pm.</p><p>Officials said narrow lanes and closely packed buildings made access difficult for fire tenders.</p><p>An electrical short circuit is suspected to have triggered the blaze. Police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel have begun an inquiry to ascertain the cause and assess property damage.</p><p>Muragha, the building’s watchman who first noticed the fire, said he saw thick smoke billowing from the closed shops.</p><p>The commercial building, Lakshmi Complex, houses 125 shops across three floors. It belongs to Vinod Kumar K of Kanakapura, who has rented the shops to various businesses.</p><p>This is the third fire incident in the locality in recent months, raising concerns over fire safety compliance.</p><p>Halasuru Gate police have registered a case of accidental fire and recorded the building owner’s statement.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: A massive fire gutted 21 shops in a three-storey commercial complex in Chickpet’s Pete area on Wednesday morning, causing panic in the busy locality.</p><p>The blaze broke out in Kumbarpet, off Avenue Road, around 6.30 am. As most shops were closed, a major tragedy was averted.</p><p>Police pegged the loss around Rs 2.5 crore.</p><p>Fire officials suspect the blaze began in a fancy store on the first floor and spread rapidly due to highly inflammable materials such as perfumes and plastic goods stored in bulk. Poor ventilation in the narrow building intensified the flames within minutes. The gutted shops sold fancy items, perfumes, toys, printing materials and hardware.</p><p>A worker from the fancy store sustained minor burns while trying to extinguish the fire. He was taken to hospital and discharged after first aid.</p>.Fire guts over 50 sheds near Kudlu Gate in Bengaluru.<p>Workers and nearby occupants were evacuated as a precaution. The fire control room received a call at 8.40 am, nearly two hours after the blaze is believed to have started.</p><p>“Shopkeepers and local residents tried to douse the fire themselves fearing a police case. When it did not come under control, only then did they call the fire force around 8.40 am. We deployed 14 fire tenders. Two of them have been kept on standby near the scene until Thursday as a precaution,” Jayaramaiah PS, Chief Fire Officer, Bengaluru East Zone, told DH.</p><p>Firefighters battled the flames for more than eight hours and brought it under control around 4.30 pm.</p><p>Officials said narrow lanes and closely packed buildings made access difficult for fire tenders.</p><p>An electrical short circuit is suspected to have triggered the blaze. Police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel have begun an inquiry to ascertain the cause and assess property damage.</p><p>Muragha, the building’s watchman who first noticed the fire, said he saw thick smoke billowing from the closed shops.</p><p>The commercial building, Lakshmi Complex, houses 125 shops across three floors. It belongs to Vinod Kumar K of Kanakapura, who has rented the shops to various businesses.</p><p>This is the third fire incident in the locality in recent months, raising concerns over fire safety compliance.</p><p>Halasuru Gate police have registered a case of accidental fire and recorded the building owner’s statement.</p>
