Home Off beat Bangalore Air Show 2019 Fire Accident; Nearly 300 Vehicles Burnt To Ashes — Watch The Video oi-Abhinand Venugopal BANGALORE: Massive fire breaks out at Bangalore Aero India 2019. The skies of Bangalore were engulfed with thick black smoke on February 23, 2019, that rose from Yelahanka air base; the venue for this year's aero show. According to reports, the fire was initiated by careless disposal of a cigarette butt on dry vegetation. It took only a few minutes' time for the blaze to spread to almost 300 vehicles (out of the near-thousand parked at the location). The fire broke out only moments after spectators were thrilled to see the badminton icon, P V Sindhu, soaring to the skies co-piloting a Tejas LCV (Light Combat Aircraft) trainer. Seeing the dark fumes, witnesses outside the compound thought that a plane crash had happened. However, it was soon confirmed that no aircraft were involved in the accident and the fire was created by human mishap only. Ground reports state that many came to know about the fire outbreak after hearing a loud 'bang'. Before firefighters and other safety personnel could reach the location, the flames had already spread at an uncontrollable rate. More than 10 fire engines rushed to the spot in a moment's notice. When the fire broke, at least 15 drivers were asleep inside some cars parked in the location. Except for a handful number of people, nobody could see the fire before it evolved to such a stage. Those who saw it first instantly reacted by banging on the windows of the vehicles in which people were sleeping, to alert them of the potential danger. No human casualties were reported except for one firefighter who sustained a minor injury when a glass window of one the cars burst due to the heat. The parking spot is located a few kilometres away from the main venue of Aero India 2019. Officials have confirmed that the air show will not be disrupted on account of this incident, even though it was temporarily suspended till the fire was put out. The fire was completely put out in less than 20 minutes. Saturday was the fourth and second-last of Aero India 2019 which commenced on February 20. Residents of Yelahanka were still recovering from the unfateful mid-air collision of two Surya Kiran 7 aerobatic aircraft that claimed the life of Wing Commander, Sahil Gandhi. The incident occurred on February 19; just one day before Aero India 2019. (Watch this space for more updates) Most Viewed Videos<doc-sep>Massive fire breaks out near #AeroIndia2019 venue. #Bengaluru https://t.co/jlNI5WJYQm — TOI Bengaluru (@TOIBengaluru) 1550912519000 Fire fighters trying to douse a fire near #AeroIndia in #Bengaluru https://t.co/eu1jjofF2W — TOI Bengaluru (@TOIBengaluru) 1550912607000 Smoke enveloped sky, emotions ran high, but the show went on Bengaluru: Dozens of cars in parking lot near Aero India show catch fire BENGALURU: A huge accidental fire that spread across the public parking lot near Gate number 5 of Yelahanka Air Force Station — hosting Aero India 2019— gutted 300 cars as per fire department , and 150 as per show organisers, more than an hour after Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) flew for the first time since two of its aircraft collided and crashed last Tuesday.The spirit that SKAT had raised in the morning was dampened temporarily by the incident at 11.55am, making way for anxiety and confusion. Emotions ran high too, with several people worried about their vehicles, while some didn’t know where they had parked theirs.But the fire itself was well away from the actual venue of the show, on the other side of Ballari Road, thus not compromising overall safety. “The fire was brought under control by deploying more than 12 fire fighting vehicles. The cause of the fire was not immediately known,” an official statement issued here read. It took emergencies rescue and fire department personnel more than two hours to douse the fire.“Some drivers initially tried breaking the window glass and moving the cars by undoing the hand brakes. About 10 to 12 cars were saved but the pace at which the fire spread made it impossible for it to be stopped immediately,” a CISF personnel from the intelligence team, told TOI.All available fire fighting services, Rapid Action Force and NDRF teams were immediately mobilised. The Indian Air Force (IAF) immediately launched one helicopter for aerial assessment, the helicopter assisted by providing effective directions to fight the fire.The fire department officially said: “Grass fire spread to some vehicles parked near Gate 5.” Although even the fire department is yet to officially determine the cause of the fire, there are two theories being probed: That an unextinguished cigarette butt may have caused it, or that, a short circuit in one of the cars led to the fire.Officials and standersby said that the second car that caught fire was powered by CNG and that it exploded amplifying the spread of fire.Earlier in the day, the SKAT took to the skies in a seven-aircraft formation, and flew for 15 minutes to loud applause. Late evening, IAF spokesperson Group Captain Anupam Banerjee said that the show would go on Sunday, and that the public must not heed to rumours about its cancellation.All such rumour came from outside the venue, and multiple officials TOI spoke with also reiterated Banerjee’s statement.Black smoke enveloped a portion of Yelahanka Air Force Station on the far right, minutes after an accidental fire around noon spread indiscriminately. Given the nature of the show, curious visitors at the main venue, far away from the fire, suspected a plane crash, even as officials allayed fears.Tens of people began rushing towards the billowing smoke, little worried and more curious. Within minutes of the incident, it became clear that dry grass at the parking lot had caught fire and was spreading. “IF the cars didn’t catch fire, the situation could have been under control,” an official said.In fact, a minor fire had broken out at the same parking lot on Thursday, and was brought under control. “It was just a grass fire,” the organisers had said, brushing aside concerns.On Saturday, the fire broke even as the morning flying display was going on. And, the smoke became thicker when badminton star PV Sindhu took to the skies in a Tejas.As the news spread across the air station—with more people checking the phones after the flying display—concern about their vehicles rented the air. Women were found crying, men scampering across the venue to find the right official to get information was common sight.“Is the P5 area OK? Where is the fire? How do we get to our cars,” one woman, who was accompanied by two of her children asked an IAF police personnel.Another man was found complaining to a BSF constable who had one of the exits from the main venue secured, not allowing people to pass by. “Will you ensure my car is OK, I have all my relevant documents there, which are crucial to claim insurance,” the middle-aged man said.There were tens of such cases, several even losing their cool and getting into verbal fights with officials. “The problem was that people were unwilling to believe us when we said that all areas other than P5 were fine. They had to see for themselves, but letting so many people out and allowing them inside again would have led to logistical issues so far as security arrangements were concerned,” a CISF official told TOI.By 12.45pm, the message became more clear with multiple messages and tweets from the fire department and the organisers of Aero India. Cars belonging to more than 90% of the visitors—the organisers couldn’t immediately confirm the actual footfall—remained safe.“Details of damage to vehicles is being ascertained. Afternoon air display continued on time. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of fire,” an official statement read.By lunch time, the venue regained normalcy, even as drama prevailed at the fire site. The food courts were full, stalls had hundreds of people getting in and out, and the afternoon display began at 1.48pm, 12 minutes earlier than the start time scheduled for flying display.By around 2pm the viewing area was full of people, some taking shelter under plane wings, some hiding behind stalls, but most of them trying to capture flying planes on their mobile cameras.“The MoD has requested the Department of Financial Services (DFS) to open a special insurance claim cell to facilitate speedy claims for affected people in the fire incident,” Ajay Kumar, secretary defence-production said, while the Karnataka transport department has opened a special centre to assist in respect of documents pertaining to Driving Licence and Vehicle Registration.“The centre will be at the Yelahanka RTO, which will also be open on Sunday. People can get assistance by calling: 080-29729908/29729909/mobile: 9449864050,” Transport Commissioner VP Ikkeri said.<doc-sep>Aero India show fire: A billow of black smoke was seen above the air base and officials were rushed in to control the fire. (Screengrab) Aero India show fire: A billow of black smoke was seen above the air base and officials were rushed in to control the fire. (Screengrab) Atleast 300 cars were destroyed after a massive fire broke out Saturday in the parking lot of the Yelahankha airbase in Bengaluru where the Aero India 2019 show is underway. A billow of black smoke was seen above the airbase as at least 10 fire force and 5 fire engines were rushed to bring it under control. The cause of the fire is still unknown and there are no reports of injury so far. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, taking note of the incident, said he has instructed police and fire officials to take action. Union Minister of Statistics and former chief minister of Karnataka Sadananda Gowda asked people around the venue to stay safe. Meanwhile, Indian Air Force PRO Anupam Banerjee stated that Aero show will continue as scheduled for the fifth day, furthering that people should not pay heed to rumours. Fire at Aero India 2019 show: Union Minister of Statistics and former chief minister of Karnataka Sadananda Gowda asked people around the venue to stay safe. (Express: Meghana Sastry) Fire at Aero India 2019 show: Union Minister of Statistics and former chief minister of Karnataka Sadananda Gowda asked people around the venue to stay safe. (Express: Meghana Sastry) The 12th edition of Aero India, Asia’s biggest air show, opened on Wednesday with an inaugural speech by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The five-day biennial airshow got underway on a sombre note with the IAF flying a special “missing man’’ formation in memory of Wg Cdr Sahil Gandhi, 37, who died when a Hawk 132 aircraft crashed during a rehearsal for the event on Tuesday. See photos | Aero India 2019: Sarang, Tejas dazzle at air show in Bengaluru In her inaugural address, Sitharaman had said the aerospace sector in the country is gradually moving towards being an exporter and not merely an importer. One of the highlights of the flying display on an opening day was the Rafale fighter jet by French firm Dassault Aviation.<doc-sep>
Bengaluru: A major fire swept through the parking area of the Aero India event at the Yelahanka Air Force station here gutting about 300 cars on Saturday, the penultimate day of Asia's premier air show, official sources said. No casualties were reported in the blaze suspected to have been caused by dry grass fire aided by heavy winds, the sources said, adding the parking area was "far away" from the air force station. The 12th edition of the five-day air show went on unaffected by the fire incident, which came four days after two jets of Indian Air Force's aerobatic team Surya Kiran crashed, killing a pilot a day before the opening of the event. The scheduled morning aerobatic display was over before the fire broke out at around noon while the afternoon programme was unhindered, Defence Public Relations Officer H L Guruprasad said. The events slated for Sunday, the final day, would go ahead as planned, he said. A blanket of thick black smoke engulfed the area causing panic among locals and visitors to the Aero India event. Aero India, that was limited to officials, businesses and foreign delegations, media and restricted invitees for the past three days, was thrown open to public on Saturday. “AeroShowOpenParkingAreaFire In all, 300 cars burnt in the fire incident. Fire fully extinguished now. 10 FireForce and 5 other fire engines fought the fire under the leadership of Chief Fire Officer, West," DGP Fire Services M N Reddi said in a tweet. "....no injuries or any harm to people reported. Likely cause: dry grass fire aided by heavy winds," he said. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the fire, a Press Information Bureau (Defence Wing) release said. The "unfortunate incident" happened at around 11:55 AM, it said. Fire fighting services, rapid action force and National Disaster Response Force teams immediately reached the spot. "IAF immediately launched one helicopter for aerial assessment, the helicopter assisted by providing effective directions to fight the fire. The fire was brought under control by deploying more than 12 fire fighting vehicles," the release said. It said the Air Show and Aero India venues were unaffected. Confirming that there were no casualties in the fire incident, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy urged people to not panic and said he has directed officials to take necessary steps. "No need to panic with regards to fire incident during the Aero India show. There is no loss of life. There are reports about vehicles getting burnt," he said in a tweet in Kannada. Eyewitnesses said they heard repeated blasts as the fire spread. Car owners rushed to the spot after they received information about the incident.