A major fire broke out at the government-operated Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC) on Tuesday, destroying over 120 laboratories and causing an estimated loss of Rs 150 crore, according to police. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.
Initial investigations suggest that the fire, which impacted a cutting-edge research and startup hub for life sciences, was likely caused by either a chemical reaction or a short circuit. “Many labs used ethanol for experiments, and we suspect the fire may have been triggered by an overreaction involving it,” a police officer said.
The fire completely destroyed the second floor, with significant damage also reported on the first and ground floors due to interconnected HVAC systems. Vital infrastructure, including the Bangalore Bio Bank, cleanroom facilities, and flow cytometry equipment, were severely impacted.
The blaze was first noticed around 4:35 pm on the second floor by a security guard. Firefighters worked for over five hours, using three fire tenders, to bring the flames under control.
Karnataka’s Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister, Priyank Kharge, who was scheduled to open a new lab at the facility later that day, visited the site to assess the damage.
According to the Department of IT and BT, the fire originated in the Galore TX lab on the second floor due to improper handling of flammable solvents. “All BBC startups were previously advised not to store large volumes of flammable chemicals in their labs, and a dedicated open storage area was provided for such materials,” the department said in a statement.
Among the affected startups were Fermbox, Phyxx 44, Ajitha Prodrug, Galore TX, Ikesia, Immunitas, and Yokogawa, along with others like Atrimed Pharma, 4basecare, Anabio, Anava Bio, Pandorium, Oxonexe Presude Lifesciences, and Zhichu.