Mini trucks, furniture gutted

Several mini goods trucks, oil barrels, vehicle batteries, furniture and other properties were gutted when a major fire broke out inside an automobile showroom-cum-service centre at Kacharakanahalli in K G Halli police station limits on Sunday evening.

Fifteen fire tenders and more than half a dozen firemen struggled for over four hours to extinguish the fire. However, there were no casualties, said the police.

Around 5 pm, thick smoke was noticed inside Chamundi Automobiles opposite K K Halli playground at HBR I Block. “My seven-year-old daughter Brinda, who was playing in front our house, told me that thick clouds of smoke were coming out of the showroom behind our house. I immediately dialled the fire control and the local police and informed them about the incident,”  Surendra V, a local resident and a BBMP contractor, told Deccan Herald.

The Fire brigade pressed into service six fire tenders. Additional vehicles were sent once the firemen realised that it was a major fire, which was spreading due to the wind.

The local police deployed additional force and cordoned off the entire area and assisted the firemen, he added.

The fire accident led to traffic jam on the main road as several vehicles belonging to the police and Fire department were parked there. “We were scared as the fire started spreading and, a portion of the building came crashing down. We contacted Bescom to request them to disrupt power supply to prevent any untoward incident, but there was no response. The staff of the Freedom Foundation Hospital also contacted the Bescom, but in vain. A few local youths turned the main switches off,” Surendra said.

“Our men took more than four hours to put out the fire, the cause for which is yet to be ascertained. There were several batteries stored inside, besides highly inflammable oil. Explosion inside the battery or electric short circuit might have triggered the fire,” deputy director of the Fire brigade, D Rasheed, said.

Vehicles, barrels and batteries were stored on the ground and first floors. The showroom is owned by Hemanth Kumar.

Youth killed in mishap

Shamsunder, a 23-year-old pharmaceutical dealer from Rajasthan, was killed on the spot and his cousin escaped with minor injuries when a container lorry struck their motorcycle on Varthur Road near Touladahalli on Saturday night, police said.

The lorry, said to be overspeeding, first rear-ended the motorcycle which Shamsunder was riding. It then ran the two-wheeler over, killing Shamsunder on the spot.

Ramratnam, who was riding pillion, fell to his left side and escaped with only minor injuries, police added.

The lorry driver fled the spot, abandoning the vehicle which was subsequently seized by the police.

Whitefield Traffic police have registered a case.