Five workers were killed early yesterday when a bar and restaurant in Bengaluru caught fire, police said, less than two weeks after a blaze at an eatery in Mumbai killed 14.
Police said an electrical short-circuit probably caused the fire at the Kailash Bar & Restaurant in Bengaluru.
All five victims were employees who were sleeping at the premises, Deputy Commissioner of Police M N Anucheth told reporters.
“We have registered a case of criminal negligence amounting to culpable homicide against bar owner R V Dayashankar, 58, who obtained the trade and liquor licences to run it,” he added.
The bar owner was not traceable, but his elder brother V R Prakash, 60, and manager Somashekar, 59 were arrested after police filed a case of criminal negligence amounting to culpable homicide.
A case has also been registered against the building owner, policed said.
“We have arrested Prakash, who has been running the bar along with his brother for the past two years, and Somashekar and are on the lookout to locate and arrest Dayashankar,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Niranjan Urs said.
Karnataka Director General of Fire and Emergency Services M N Reddi said the victims died due to asphyxia, as they suffocated in the absence of fresh air, ventilation and no exit door to escape.
“Preliminary inquiry revealed that the bar had no fire extinguisher or other fire precautionary measures like an exit door, ventilation, exhaust fans or an escape way,” Reddi said.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and police have been directed to inspect all bars, pubs, restaurants, hotels and eateries across the city to check for safety norms, Reddi added.
The cause of the fire was, however, still unknown even 14 hours after it broke out. “Electrical short circuit is suspected to have sparked it,” said Anucheth.
Fire brigade personnel retrieved the charred bodies of the victims after dousing the fire by 4am and had later shifted them to the state-run Victoria Hospital for autopsy.
The victims were identified as Swami, 23, Prasad, 20, Mahesh, 35, Manjunath, 45, and Keerthi, 20.
Swami, Prasad, Mahesh were from Tumakuru,while Manjunath is from Hassan and Keerthi from Mandya.
State Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and senior police and civic body officials visited the bar and inspected its gutted premises.
“The state government has decided to give Rs5 lakh compensation to each of the victims’ bereaved families,” said George.
Admitting that commercial establishments should have two doors so that customers could rush out in case of fire, the home minister said the Kailash Bar had one shutter door.
Bengaluru Mayor Sampath Raj, who inspected the burnt bar, told reporters he had ordered an inquiry to find out why the victims were sleeping in the premises after downing the shutters.
The BBMP has raided several bars, restaurants, pubs and eateries after the Mumbai pub blaze.
“We have been conducting raids since January 2 to check if fire safety norms were in place. We have also shut down 10 bars and served notices to many others,” said Raj.
In late December 14 people were killed in a fire at a rooftop restaurant in Mumbai, many of them young women at a birthday party. The incidents have raised concerns over lax enforcement of safety rules in India, where fires are common.
Such disasters are particularly frequent in Mumbai, where millions live in cramped and dilapidated properties because of high rents.
Activists say builders and landlords often cut corners on safety to save costs and have accused civic authorities of negligence and apathy.

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