Siddarth Sethia
A major fire broke out at a plastic godown following a suspected short circuit in the Hommadevanahalli area on Bannerghatta Road,on the outskirts of Bengaluru, around midnight on Tuesday.
The fire spread rapidly through the plastic storage facility,sending thick plumes of smoke into the air and triggering panic among residents in the surrounding areas,including Hulimavu,Anjanapur,Jayanagar and parts of Electronic City.
Fire and emergency services rushed multiple fire tenders to the spot after receiving alerts.Firefighters struggled for several hours to bring the blaze under control due to the highly inflammable nature of plastic materials stored inside the godown.
Sources said the situation was particularly alarming as a gas cylinder godown was located close to the plastic warehouse.
Fire officials said a major disaster was narrowly averted as firemen managed to prevent the flames from spreading to the gas storage facility.
Though the fire caused extensive property damage,no casualties were reported.Fire department officials said cooling operations were still underway as of early morning to prevent any re-ignition.
Officials from the Hommadevanahalli Gram Panchayat and the Revenue Department visited the site and conducted an inspection.
The exact cause of the fire is being investigated, though a short circuit is suspected.
