The fire, reportedly caused by improper handling of flammable solvents, caused significant damage to infrastructure and intellectual property. No casualties were reported.
Published Jan 15, 2025 | 3:36 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 15, 2025 | 3:36 PM
The blaze caused extensive damage to infrastructure and intellectual property. (Supplied)
A massive fire erupted in the early hours of Tuesday, 14 January, at the Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC), a government-run biotechnology incubator located in Electronic City on the southwestern edge of Bengaluru, Karnataka. No casualties were reported.
The blaze caused extensive damage to infrastructure and intellectual property. The fire department used three engines to bring it under control after a five-hour operation.
According to authorities, the fire broke out at 4.35 a.m. in the Galore Tx startup lab on the building’s second floor due to improper management of flammable solvents.
“A fire accident erupted at galore Tx startup room in 2nd floor ESF07 lab due to improper management of flammable solvent in their lab. All BBC startups were previously informed to not store and use any large volume of inflammable chemicals in their lab and a separate open storage area was provided for the same,” a statement issued by the department of IT and BT said.
The second floor, recently renovated to accommodate more startups, was completely destroyed. The fire spread through interconnected HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) systems, causing significant damage to the first and ground floors as well.
Critical shared infrastructure, including the Bangalore Bio Bank, cleanroom facilities, flow cytometry equipment, and HVAC systems were severely damaged, the authorities confirmed.
Several startups housed at the centre also suffered serious losses to their equipment, consumables, and intellectual property.
Startups severely impacted include Fermbox, Phyxx 44, Ajitha Prodrug, Galore Tx, Ikesia, Immunitas, and Yokogawa. Others, such as Atrimed Pharma, 4basecare, Anabio, Anava Bio, Pandorium, Oxonexe, Presude Lifesciences, and Zhichu, also reported damages.
Preliminary estimates place the loss sustained by startups between ₹80 crore and ₹110 crore, while damage to BBC’s own properties is estimated at approximately ₹42 crore.
Home Minister G Parameshwara and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge visited the site on separate occasions to inspect the damage.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Nolan Patrick Pinto)
