Bengaluru fire tragedy: Building owner arrested after accident kills 5

DK Shivakumar announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of the victims, all of whom were migrant workers from Rajasthan.

Five people lost their lives in a devastating fire that broke out in a commercial building in Bengaluru’s Nagarathpete area on Saturday, prompting authorities to launch a crackdown on illegal constructions in the locality.

Bengaluru fire tragedy: Building owner arrested after accident kills 5 (PTI)

City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh confirmed on Sunday that the owners of the two buildings have been arrested after preliminary investigations pointed to gross safety violations. “The Fire Department’s initial findings suggest the blaze was triggered by a short circuit. The owners had not followed any safety guidelines and had even constructed additional floors without approval,” Singh told ANI.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who visited the spot along with senior officials, squarely blamed the building owners for the tragedy. “It is the fault of the building owner. All buildings here are illegal. I am going to issue notices to everyone. If they don’t strengthen the structures, we will have to demolish them,” Shivakumar said, adding that the government has ordered strict action against violators of building norms.

Shivakumar further announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of the victims, all of whom were migrant workers from Rajasthan. “What has happened is extremely painful. Five precious lives have been lost. This cannot be allowed to happen again,” he said.

Visuals from the site showed fire and emergency personnel carrying out rescue operations and cooling the charred remains of the building even as shocked locals gathered in large numbers.

(With ANI inputs)