Wall-to-wall markets, no escape routes: Bengaluru's Pete areas sit on a tinderbox

Localities in Bengaluru's historic Pete areas — Chickpet, Thigalarapet, Nagarthpet, Kumbarpet, etc — are known for wholesale hardware, electrical and plastic goods markets.

Every day, thousands of traders, labourers, goods trucks and shoppers enter the narrow lanes lined with ageing multi-storey buildings stocked heavily.

Wednesday morning's massive blaze, which destroyed 21 shops in a three-storey building in Kumbarpet, was not the first such incident.

In August 2025, a family, including two children, died in a fire on the ground floor of a five-storey building in narrow Rajanna Lane, Nagarathpet.

A senior police officer from the Halasuru Gate police station said most buildings in these areas are packed wall-to-wall, with little ventilation and limited emergency exits.

In a fire, smoke can engulf entire structures within minutes, trapping people inside. Customers on upper floors may find staircases choked with smoke, while workers in storage areas have little room to escape, he noted.

Jayaramaiah PS, Chief Fire Officer, Bengaluru East Zone, said firefighting is equally challenging. Fire tenders often struggle to navigate the narrow, congested lanes. In several incidents, firefighters had to drag hoses long distances as vehicles could not reach the spot.

Traders on Avenue Road admit electrical overload, illegal storage and lack of fire safety compliance are common. With buildings close together and access roads barely wide enough for two-wheelers, a major blaze during peak hours could cause heavy casualties.

Sundar Abhimanyu, a resident of Kumbarpet, said local traders allege that poor ventilation, storage of inflammable materials in bulk, and inaccessibility for emergency vehicles have made the area a fire trap.

Shop owners also encroach on footpaths and roads by displaying goods, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk. Traffic police should take strict action, he added.