Fire tenders reached spot only around 4 am

The fire that killed five people in Kailash bar on Monday early morning broke out on the ground floor and escalated as there was a huge garbage pile of Tetra Paks, plastic glasses and bottles. But, the fire did not spread to the other parts of the building, neighbours said.

Fire tenders and a fire rescue vehicle reached the spot only around 4 am, according to a few auto drivers, who helped in rescuing the trapped bar staff.

"The street light opposite the bar was not working. It was dark and we could not see the smoke clearly, but the fire was evidently coming from inside the bar. We were unable to break open the shutter, and did not know how many people were trapped inside," said Nagaraj, an auto driver.

The firemen, too, found it difficult to pry open the metal shutter door as it was hot. By  the time they gained entry, the five staffers had already died.