A couple was found dead inside a building in Bengaluru two days after a fire broke out at a lubricant shop in Kamagondanahalli, police said, raising serious questions about whether all occupants had been accounted for after the blaze was extinguished.
The deceased were identified as Akash and his wife, Nagarathna. Police said the couple worked at a petrol bunk in KG Halli, where the building is located under the jurisdiction of the Gangammagudi police station.
The fire broke out on October 24 at a small lubricant shop in an old building in Kamagondanahalli. The shop sold different types of lubricants, oil and other materials, according to police. Fire and emergency services personnel, along with police personnel, reached the site and extinguished the blaze.
A senior police officer said the fire appeared to have been accidental and had continued for some time. After the flames were put out, personnel carried out the necessary procedures and checked the rooms in the building. At that stage, officials believed that everyone had managed to leave the premises, and there was no information that anyone had died in the incident.
The couple was discovered only on Monday after someone informed the police that a foul smell was coming from the building. Police personnel returned to the site and carried out a thorough inspection. The charred bodies were found in a room on the first floor, near the doorway, the officer said.
The delayed discovery highlights the operational difficulty of confirming that every person has exited a building after a fire, particularly when the structure contains multiple rooms and the blaze has affected visibility or access. In this case, the building was described by police as old, while the shop stored lubricants, oil and other materials that may have prolonged the fire. The supplied police account does not state whether the building had residential occupants besides the couple or whether any fire-safety violations had been identified.
The incident also places attention on the post-fire inspection process. Fire response does not end when flames are extinguished; rooms, concealed spaces and access points must be checked before a site can be considered clear. Police said the couple was found near the doorway of a first-floor room during the later inspection, after the foul smell was reported.
The bodies were subsequently identified as Akash and Nagarathna. Police have described the fire as appearing accidental. No further details about the cause of the blaze, the condition of the building or any possible safety action were provided in the report.
