Mon Aug 18 13:48:59 UTC 2025: ## News Article Summary:
**Bengaluru Fire Claims Five Lives, Negligence Suspected**
A devastating fire in a Nagarathpete building in Bengaluru claimed the lives of five people, including a couple and their two young children, early Monday morning. The victims, identified as Madan Kumar Purohit, his wife Sangeeta Kanwar, their two children, and neighbor Suresh Kumar, were found charred to death.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire, suspected to be caused by an electrical short circuit, started on the ground floor of the four-story building around 3:00 AM. Residents on the second floor, part of businessman Mohan Lal’s family, narrowly escaped by jumping to an adjacent building after noticing the thick smoke.
Neighbors reported witnessing sparks from power lines in the days leading up to the tragedy and alerting the building owner. Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and Bescom officials are working to determine the exact cause of the fire, including ruling out a potential LPG leak.
Fire and Emergency Services faced significant challenges in reaching the building due to the narrow lanes, ultimately taking over ten hours to extinguish the blaze. Based on a complaint from the brother of one of the victims, police have arrested two building owners on charges of death due to negligence. The investigation is ongoing.
First Piper 