Overview

• Preliminary fire department findings attribute the blaze to an electrical short circuit in a ground-floor plastic articles unit where stored materials fueled rapid spread.
• Five victims, including a Rajasthan migrant family of four and a neighbouring worker, were trapped in the building’s unauthorised upper floors.
• Bengaluru City Police registered an FIR at Halasuru Gate station and arrested building owners Balakrishna Shetty and his son Sandeep Shetty on safety-violation and illegal construction charges.
• Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar approved ₹5 lakh ex-gratia for each victim’s family and blamed unregulated construction for magnifying the tragedy.
• The state government has directed the BBMP to conduct a city-wide audit of structurally weak and unauthorised buildings after estimating that 70% of Bengaluru’s constructions lack proper approval.