Three people died after a fire broke out at a perfume warehouse in Karnataka’s Bengaluru in the evening hours on February 18. Five people have been injured and have been shifted to Victoria Hospital in the city. According to reports, police suspect children to have worked in the warehouse as two among the five injured are aged 10 and 15. The warehouse is located on the western outskirts of Bengaluru at Ramasandra near Mysuru road.
The warehouse was reportedly set up two weeks ago in a residential locality to scrap expired perfume bottles. While an investigation is underway to find out whether the warehouse had a license, police said the building with inflammable materials did not have adequate safety measures in place.
A fire and emergency services department officer told the media that there were more than eight employees in the building when the fire broke out. Five of them, who were close to the door, escaped with minor burns. The remaining three were inside the warehouse and they could not find a way out as smoke surrounded them, the officer added.
The deceased were identified as Saleem (30), who ran the warehouse, and 32-year-old Mehboob Pasha. A woman, who also died in the accident, is yet to be identified. The 10-year-old boy suffered 62% burns and is in a critical condition.
As per reports, Kumbalagodu police have registered a case under sections 420 (cheating), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 467 (forgery) and 64 (non-payment of fine) of the Indian Penal Code. The owner of the land has reportedly absconded following the fire accident.