Burn accident at Bengaluru BBMP lab triggers internal investigation

In an unfortunate turn of events, nine staff members from the Quality Control Wing of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) were admitted to Victoria Hospital following significant burn injuries caused by a fire outbreak earlier this week at the Quality Control Lab located at Hudson Circle, Bengaluru. Among the injured, three individuals remained in a critical condition, as per hospital reports from Sunday.

Kiran, 35 years old, an Executive Engineer, suffered substantial burns and had to undergo dialysis as per the Nephrologist’s advice. Chief Engineer Shivakumar, aged 40, and Junior Engineer Jyothi, aged 26, sustained 25% and 28% burn injuries, respectively, according to Ramesh Krishna K, Director cum Dean at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI). He added, “Kiran’s creatinine levels remain elevated, further dialysis is necessary. Shivakumar struggles with respiratory problems due to inhalation injuries.”

In light of the recent outbreak, BBMP has initiated an internal technical enquiry (ITE) to meticulously scrutinise potential errors in bitumen quality testing that might have caused the accident. BBMP Chief Commissioner, Tushar Girinath, expressed his intentions to ensure a meticulous investigation, aiming to present the findings to the chief minister and the deputy chief minister. He confirmed that the fire safety measures have been updated since the incident.

BBMP also vowed to cover the medical expenses of the injured victims. Girinath added, “”Although nine individuals were hurt, everyone’s life has been under no threat.”

An FIR has been filed over the incident at Halasuru Gate police station. Chief Engineer K Prahlad, cited in the complaint, referred to sections 337 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to acts that endanger life and personal safety due to negligence. As the police worked towards establishing the fire’s cause, they detained three individuals, who were later released on a station bail on Sunday.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar assured that no crucial documents were damaged in the fire, dispelling fears of any potential loss of critical files. Simultaneously, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao was optimistic about the recovery of all victims. He stated, “Even the ones initially critical have stabilised. Our experts are assessing the situation, which will aid us in defining responsibility, determining potential safety lapses by BBMP, or other facts contributing to the fire. Whether this event was accidental or due to negligence will be thoroughly investigated. The government will take appropriate actions based on these findings.”