Fire broke out from an electrical short circuit
In a fire that broke out late afternoon at Carlton Towers, on Old Airport Road, Bangalore, at least nine are feared dead and 59 are reportedly injured of which 35 are said to be in a serious condition. Electric short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire. About 200 persons have been rescued by the fire brigade.
Police sources said, the reason for the incident is yet to be ascertained and investigations are on. The fire has been brought under control. The injured have been admitted to the Manipal Hospital. Seven of the victims were brought in dead and two died in hospital. Some 19 persons are learnt to be in the ICU.
Unconfirmed reports say that the fire broke out from the sixth floor and spread rapidly throughout the building. Some casualties occurred when a few people jumped out of the building in panic, eyewitnesses said.
VS Acharya, Home Minister, Government of Karnataka said that the state government has ordered for a detailed investigation into the incident. Carlton Towers houses many commercial offices and establishments and is located in a prime location in the city. The building has around 25 small IT companies.