32 hutments razed to the ground in fire

Bangalore, Apr 11 (UNI) As many as 32 hutments were reduced to ashes when fire broke out at Bettahalasuru village under Devanahalli police limits in Bangalore Rural district, late last night.

However, no one was injured as the dwellers of the hutments ran to safety in time, police said.

Eyewitness reports said the fire broke out allegedly after a blast of gelatine sticks, illegally stored in one of the huts. The explosives were used in nearby stone quarries, many of which were being run illegally. Police had not taken action despite the locals filing complaints in this regard, they alleged.

Devanahalli Circle Inspector Venugopal, however, flatly denied that an explosion had caused the fire. ''There was neither any blast nor gelatine sticks were stored in the place of mishap. Had it been a gelatine blast, loss of life would have been there. We conducted a thorough inquest at the spot and we are sure that there was no blast,'' he told UNI.

Large scale quarrying took place in the area, which supplied a major portion of stone and ballast to the booming construction activity in the city.

UNI