Bengaluru: Nine people sustain burn injuries as fire breaks out in BBMP office

PTI, Aug 11, 2023, 5:30 PM IST

Bengaluru: Nine people sustained serious burn injuries when a fire broke out in the Quality Control Division of the Bengaluru civic agency on Friday.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he has ordered an inquiry into the incident and an FIR has been registered.

Tushar Giri Nath, chief commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) told reporters that the incident took place 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 were rushed to hospital,” he said.

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.

Nath said nine engineers, including the chief engineer, have sustained injuries. He, however, declined to explain about their health condition.

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,” he said.

The incident occurred days after the Congress-led state 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, 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.

Siddaramaiah along with his deputy and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy visited Victoria Hospital and enquired about the health condition of the injured.

Later speaking to reporters, he said he has ordered Nath to investigate how and why the incident happened. He said the injured have sustained injuries on their faces and hands.

Doctors, according to the chief minister, have said that the injured have got over 30 percent burn wounds. He said he is hopeful that they would recover.