2 min readBengaluruUpdated: May 12, 2026 04:32 PM IST
A day after two children of migrant labourers died in a fire inside a shed in Bengaluru’s K Narayanapura area, the police on Tuesday said highly inflammable materials stored inside the structure and the possible spread of an open flame from outside were the likely cause of the blaze.
The victims—Arjun, 5, and Asha, 3—children of migrant labourers from Devadurga taluk in Raichur district, died after a fire broke out in a shed on Monday afternoon. The Kothanur police have registered a case of unnatural death.
According to the police, the family had moved to Bengaluru around four months ago for work and were living in one of several sheds on a property belonging to a man identified as Krishnamurthy. The children were under the care of their grandmother after their parents left for work around 9 am.
Investigators said the children had entered the vacant shed to play, something they reportedly did every day. “The shed contained several old clothes, mosquito nets, and other materials that can catch fire very easily,” a police officer said.
The police suspect that a fire lit by labourers behind the shed for daily use may have accidentally spread to the structure. They, however, ruled out an electrical short circuit as the cause of the blaze after inspections by the Scene of Crime Office (SOCO) and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom).
Investigators also found kitchen-related items and matchboxes inside the shed that the family used regularly. The police said these materials might have accidentally triggered the fire while the children were playing inside.
The police suspect the children died due to asphyxiation from dense smoke before sustaining burn injuries. One of the children died on the spot, while the other was declared dead at a hospital.
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The police said they received information about the incident around 2 pm. Investigators said there was no indication of foul play or any other external cause behind the fire.
Further investigation is underway.
