Nine people sustained serious burn injuries when a fire broke out in the Quality Control Division of the Bengaluru civic agency on Friday. The Chief Commissioner of the city civic agency-Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike-, Tushar Giri Nath told reporters that the incident took place sometime between 5 pm and 5.30 pm.
"I was in the office, there was a power failure. Then I learnt that a fire broke out in a building behind our office. When I went there, I saw a massive fire raging from the building. The incident caused major loss. Those working around there were injured. They have been rushed to hospital," Giri Nath told reporters.
The injured were rushed to Saint Martha's Hospital in the vicinity for first aid and were subsequently shifted to the burns ward of the Victoria Government Hospital.
Giri Nath said nine engineers, including the chief engineer, have sustained injuries. He however, declined to explain about their health condition. The Chief Commissioner said the injured were quickly taken to the hospital.
Asked about the reason for the fire, he said an inquiry alone will reveal it. To a query about the damage to materials, the BBMP chief said it will be known later.
"We are not focusing on what is burnt there. It will be known later," Giri Nath said. The incident occurred days after the Karnataka government ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged irregularities that took place in the BBMP during the previous BJP government.
Apart from the judicial probe, the Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, formed four panels headed by IAS officers to investigate the alleged irregularities in the civic agency.
