A massive fire broke out at a plastic scrap warehouse in Bengaluru’s Nayandahalli area on Thursday morning, destroying materials worth several lakhs of rupees, police said.
The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Byatarayanapura Police Station.
Short circuit suspected behind fire
According to officials, the warehouse belonged to Kundan, a businessman from Tamil Nadu who had reportedly been operating the facility for the past two years.
Police suspect a short circuit triggered the blaze around 8 am inside the godown, which stored large quantities of second-hand PVC plastic scrap near the banks of the Vrishabhavathi Canal.
Due to the highly inflammable nature of the stored materials, the fire spread rapidly and engulfed the entire premises within minutes.
Firefighters battle blaze for hours
Fire and emergency teams rushed to the spot with three fire tenders and conducted an operation lasting nearly four hours before bringing the blaze under control.
Officials said thick smoke spread across surrounding areas because of the burning plastic waste.
The flames also reportedly spread to a nearby warehouse storing iron rods and metal drums, causing additional property damage.
Fortunately, no workers or staff members were present inside the warehouse at the time of the incident, and no casualties or injuries were reported.
Tragic coincidence involving warehouse owner
Police said warehouse owner Kundan had reportedly travelled to Tamil Nadu earlier after his son, Ashok, allegedly died by suicide on May 12.
The family was attending the final rites when news of the warehouse fire reached them.
A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
Cylinder explosion reported in Raichur
In a separate incident, a fire accident at a labourers’ shed near the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt triggered a gas cylinder explosion in the Mantralayam area of Raichur district.
Authorities said the shed was being used by workers involved in construction activities near the mutt premises.
Fire personnel managed to extinguish the blaze and safely removed two additional cylinders, preventing a larger disaster.