Five killed in major fire in Bangalore 's Carlton Towers

BANGLORE, Feb 23 : A major fire broke out on Tuesday in one of Bangalore 's major business centres, the Carlton Towers . The building which is located on Bangalore 's Old Airport Road is said to have caught fire due to a short circuit.

According to sources, five people are said to have been killed in the incident after they jumped out of windows in order to escape the blaze.

The fire which began on the third floor of the building and spread as far as the eighth floor was extinguished by the fire department and all occupants of the building were evacuated. A few people were seen unconscious.

All those evacuated were administered first aid and sent to the neighbouring Manipal Hospital for treatement.

The smoke billowing out of the building was seen as a major concern as there were still a large number of people trapped. People were spotted breaking windows and calling for help in order to escape the blaze and its consequential smoke.

According to eye witnesses, the fire brigade present at the scene was ill-prepared for the situation. The witness added that the fire brigade did not have enough water and they did not come prepared with enough equipment for rescue operations. By standers and other able hands worked together with the police and fire brigade to further the rescue operations without any delay.