Bengaluru, May 30 (IANS) A major fire broke out at the Chitrakoota Kaushalya School near Jnanabharathi in Bengaluru’s Visvesvaraya Layout on Saturday, triggering panic in the surrounding area.

According to the police, the fire broke out on the fifth floor of the school building.

As the school was closed for the summer holidays, a major tragedy was averted.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

The blaze was first noticed in the auditorium and quickly engulfed the entire floor. Staff members present in the auditorium managed to escape safely before the fire spread.

Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and firefighters brought the blaze under control after a sustained operation.

Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported. Fire and Emergency Services personnel responded swiftly and prevented the flames from spreading to other parts of the campus.

Authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage caused to the school property.

Meanwhile, in a separate fire incident, a furniture showroom was gutted in Sanganakeri Cross in Mudalagi taluk of Belagavi district in north Karnataka.

The SMK Furniture Shop was completely destroyed in the fire. The blaze reportedly broke out around midnight, and an explosion was heard before the flames rapidly spread through the premises, reducing the shop to ashes.

Furniture and other materials worth crores of rupees are believed to have been destroyed in the incident.

Fortunately, the security guard, who was sleeping outside the showroom, escaped unhurt. He immediately alerted the authorities after noticing the fire.

Firefighters rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The jurisdictional Ghataprabha police have registered a case and taken up the investigation.

Preliminary investigations indicate that an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire. However, police are also probing the circumstances surrounding the reported explosion and are awaiting a detailed technical assessment.

–IANS

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