Major Fire Erupts in Garbage Pile Near Bengaluru's Hosa Lake, Destroys 13 Labourer Shelters
A devastating accidental fire broke out in a pile of garbage near labourers' temporary shelters close to Hosa Lake at Kudlu Gate in Bengaluru during the early hours of Friday. The rapidly spreading blaze completely gutted approximately thirteen makeshift shelters along with a mini goods vehicle parked in the vicinity.
Segregated Waste and Living Quarters Destroyed in Intense Blaze
The fire also consumed a significant quantity of segregated waste that had been stored in the area for processing. Officials from the fire and emergency services have confirmed that fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident. All residents managed to evacuate the burning structures on their own before the situation escalated.
Police investigations revealed that the labourers residing in these sheds primarily hailed from the states of West Bengal and Assam. Their temporary shelters were constructed on privately owned land that is currently entangled in a legal dispute involving four different individuals. The living quarters were divided into two separate partitions, with one section being utilized by scrap collectors to systematically sort through dry waste materials.
Rapid Spread and Multiple Explosions Characterize the Fire Incident
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire originated around 5:00 AM and spread with alarming speed through the densely packed cluster of makeshift shelters. The first emergency alert was received by fire and emergency services at approximately 5:15 AM from R Shiva Kumar Iyer, a civil engineer residing in the nearby area.
Iyer reported noticing a small flame approximately half a kilometer from his residence. "By 5:10 AM, the fire had spread rapidly and thick smoke was clearly visible across the area. I could hear people screaming in panic and immediately contacted the emergency services, who instructed me to share precise location details and photographic evidence," he recounted.
Eyewitness Accounts Describe Terrifying Series of Explosions
The civil engineer further recalled hearing a loud initial explosion around 5:30 AM, followed by multiple subsequent blasts that resembled firecracker detonations. When he reached the fire site approximately fifteen minutes later, emergency response teams including a water tanker had already arrived on scene. Officials were actively preventing residents from re-entering the dangerous area as explosions continued to occur.
The dry waste materials, which had been packed and stored in numerous gunny bags, contributed significantly to the fire's intensity and rapid progression. Despite the challenging circumstances, all labourers successfully evacuated without external assistance.
Police Clarify Occupant Identities and Investigate Fire Origin
A senior police officer directly addressed circulating rumors suggesting that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh might have been occupying the sheds. The officer firmly stated that all occupants possessed valid identity documentation from Assam and West Bengal, completely dismissing the unfounded speculation.
The police investigation revealed that several small cylinders, each weighing less than five kilograms, exploded during the intense blaze. "There is absolutely no possibility of an electrical short circuit being the cause, as the fire clearly originated from the garbage pile itself. The labourers initially attempted to extinguish the flames themselves, which unfortunately delayed the official arrival of firefighting personnel," the senior officer explained.
Authorities from the Parappana Agrahara police station have officially registered a fire accident case and continue to investigate the precise circumstances surrounding the incident. The destruction has left multiple labourers without shelter and destroyed their means of livelihood through waste collection and sorting operations.
