Updated on
Summary
Five persons were feared dead when a major fire broke out on the seventh floor of Carlton Towers, a business centre housing several offices and commercial establishments, on Tuesday. Karnataka Home Minister V S Acharya said five persons are feared dead. Some casualties apparently occurred when a few people jumped out of the building in panic, eyewitnesses said. The multi-storey building located on the busy Old Airport Road in Domlur area was completely evacuated and the fire brought under control nearly two hours after it broke out, officials said. Scores of persons fainted after inhaling the smoke and had to be rushed to nearby hospital for first aid, a senior fire official said. The fire which broke out in an office on the seventh floor at 4.30 pm has been brought under control and extinguished, Chief Fire Officer N U Erappa said after the fire fighting operations. Nearly 15 fire tenders including two rescue vehicles were pressed into service. The blaze, suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit, created panic with several inside the building shouting for help and many others breaking the window panes.
