Godown gutted in Cubbonpet

Narrow and congested lanes in the city’s core area hampered the work of the fire brigade in tackling a major fire on 9th Cross, Cubbonpet Main Road.The fire started in the godown of a three-storied building at around 9.30 am on Friday and spread to the first and second floors within minutes. Though there were no casualties, the building suffered extensive damage.According to a fire force officer, highly combustible materials were kept in the godown and this led to the fire spreading quickly. Ten fire engines rushed to the spot and controlled the fire in about an hour.While an electrical short-circuit is thought to have caused the blaze, the fire brigade and KPTCL officials are trying to ascertain the real cause.Lakhs of rupees lost“I and members of my family were sleeping in the house when the neighbours shouted for us to get out,” said house owner Lokesh. Suspecting that the fire was caused by miscreants, Lokesh said it had caused him losses running into lakhs of rupees.Ulsoor Gate sub-division ACP Gachinacatti said the narrow roads in the area had caused problems for the fire fighters and urged residents of the area to be doubly cautious in preventing fire accidents.The Ulsoor Gate police are investigating the incident.