In what is the fourth major fire accident in less than a month in the city, at least 18 buses belonging to various private bus companies were completely destroyed in a massive blaze that broke out in a bus workshop in Veerabhadra Nagar in south Bengaluru on Monday (Oct 30). Luckily, no one was injured in the accident.
The fire at the S.V. Coach Works, a bus workshop where around 30 buses were parked, was reported at 11 a.m. Soon after, explosions were heard, triggering panic among people in the vicinity. Thick plumes of smoke were visible several kilometres away.
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who visited the spot, ordered a probe into the incident.
Earlier, 14 persons died in a fire at a cracker shop in Attible, and huge losses to property were reported in fire accidents in a rooftop restaurant in Koramangala and at Haj Bhavan. Fire and Emergency Services will soon come up with an action plan to prevent similar accidents in the city.
Source of the fire
Monday’s fire in the bus workshop spread fast and wide due to the highly inflammable materials in the vicinity. Initially, the workers tried to douse the flames and remove buses parked nearby. But seeing the fire spreading fast, they abandoned the effort and rushed to safety.
Seven fire tenders, along with around 100 Fire and Emergency Service personnel, rushed to the spot. It took them over three hours to contain the blaze.
Though an electric short circuit from the machinery used in building coaches is suspected to be the trigger for the fire, witnesses said it emanated from a welding machine. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory are investigating to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Inflammable materials
Sources said the garage was vulnerable to such an accident because of the nature of the inflammable materials stored. They included welding machines, cylinders, painting equipment, and waste and cushion material. However, the garage did not have adequate fire safety measures, a fire officer said.
“Though the garage has a small fire extinguisher, it was not enough,” Mr. Shivakumar said. The loss in the fire accident is estimated to be several crores. “The police and fire department are working on putting measures in place so that such incidents don’t happen again,” Mr. Shivakumar said.
