Bengaluru: A fire in the basement of a multi-storey commercial building in Yelachenahalli on Kanakapura Main Road early Thursday destroyed 19 electric vehicles and triggered an LPG cylinder explosion. No casualties were reported.The vehicles, belonging to Domino’s Pizza Restaurant, were parked in the basement and had been put on charge post midnight. Fire and emergency services received the alert around 7.30am and sent two water tankers to the location. The blaze was brought under control by 9am, preventing it from spreading to the entire building.Preliminary probe revealed the fire originated from a short circuit in the charging system. The flames quickly engulfed all 19 e-scooters used for food delivery and reached six LPG cylinders stored in a corner of the basement. One cylinder exploded, creating a loud noise that alerted nearby residents.The explosion caused significant damage to basement walls and pillars, while glass windows on other floors were shattered. Lithium batteries in the scooters intensified the fire, resulting in complete destruction of the vehicles, fure officials said.“If all six cylinders had exploded, the damage would have been catastrophic, potentially affecting neighbouring buildings,” said a fire official.The restaurant management is yet to file a formal complaint at Kumaraswamy Layout police station, after which authorities will initiate legal action.
