BENGALURU: Two workers were charred to death after an accidental fire broke out in a godown located in a temporary shed on an empty site in Chandra Layout on Monday night. The fire personnel did not notice the bodies even after dousing the fire. The neighbour who found the bodies alerted the police.
One of the deceased was Manjunath (27) and another worker’s identity is yet to be ascertained. Both are natives of Melur village in KR Nagar, Mysuru. They had come to the city together two years ago.
A senior police officer said the fire broke out around 11.30pm in the shed, where waste clothes used to be sorted. The fire personnel along with three fire tenders rushed to the spot. The fire was doused by 1.30am after a two-hour operation. However, the bodies were not noticed.Police said one Yogesh (30), another worker from the shed, was sleeping with them and is absconding. Neighbours said the deceased used to stay with him. His phone was switched off when contacted. Police spoke to Yogesh’s family and found out that he had contacted them earlier in the day. Police suspect he might be behind the fire as according to the neighbour they were under the influence of alcohol.
Around 7.30 am, a neighbour, also named Manjunath, discovered the two bodies and went inside the shed to pour water to stop the thick smoke. He then informed the Chandra Layout police, a police officer said.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but it was known that Yogesh had kept his mobile for charging where they slept. The bodies were shifted to Victoria Hospital for a post-mortem. Parents of the victims were yet to reach the city. The site belongs to a person named Venkatappa. The waste cloth business was being run by one Naseer, police said.