It took over 3 hours to control fire; cause remains a mystery

Cooking gas cylinder leak, short-circuit ruled out as likely reasons

The apartment complex fire at Devarachikkanahalli near Bannerghatta Road on Tuesday broke out following an explosion-like sound eyewitnesses said, which led fire personnel to initially believe the blaze may have been caused by a cooking cylinder blast. The disaster claimed two lives – Bhagyarekha, 59, and her mother Lakshmidevi, 82.

However, Maruti, Regional Fire Officer, South, Fire and Emergency Services, who led the firefighting, said firemen had recovered two cooking gas cylinders from the kitchen of the flat and ruled out a gas leak as the cause of the fire. “It is a very preliminary stage to speculate on the cause of the fire at the flat. Only a detailed technical investigation can help us get that answer,” he said. As the flat was locked for six months and all electric appliances were switched on on Tuesday, this could have led to the fire, another fireman suspected. An electric short circuit usually doesn’t cause a blast, which was reported by eyewitnesses, officials said.

Three fire tenders conducted firefighting operations for over three hours to bring the fire under control. “The furniture, cots and mattresses have all caught fire, adding to the blaze. However, we managed to contain the fire to the flat and not allow it to spread,” Mr. Maruti said.