A fire broke out in the basement of a commercial building in central Bengaluru’s MG Road, less than 50 meters from the metro station, during the peak evening hour on Sunday. No coincidence was reported.
Panic swept through the shopping crowd as plumes of thick smoke billowed from the basement of GKB Opticals, covering the area between the MG Road metro station and Cauvery Emporium Junction.
A firefighting vehicle was pressed into service around 7 pm, following a call from a passerby around 6.50 pm.
However, the fire spread across the basement, emanating enormous smoke and making it difficult for the firefighters to enter the building.
“The way to enter the basement is from inside the shop. It was all dark because the smoke covered the whole establishment,” said an official from the Fire and Emergency Service.
Even hours after the fire sprung up, the firefighters couldn’t enter the building and were trying to douse it through the broad air vent.
They drew water from the fire pump station at the metro station, and two more water bowsers arrived at the scene after the fire spread rapidly.
Traffic on MG Road grew when the fire broke out as passersby and motorists stopped to assess the situation. However, traffic police ensured order prevailed along the road.
As the firefighters continued to contain the fire and the way downstairs was not visible due to the smoke, the exact cause of the fire was unknown.
However, they said a short circuit may have caused the accident.
Had furniture, cardboards
The firefighters had a tough time preventing the fire from spreading across the building, as the entire basement was reportedly filled with furniture and cardboard.
