Over 300 vehicles were gutted after a fire broke out in the car parking area of the Yelahanka Air Base on the fourth day of the Aero India show on Saturday around 11.55 a.m.
The fire broke out in the ground opposite the Air Force base runway. Within minutes, the fire, whose cause is yet to be ascertained, spread to vehicles parked there. Over 300 cars were charred by the time fire tenders and emergency services officials posted at the air show doused the blaze at 2.30 p.m.
The billowing smoke raised panic at the show being held across the Airport Road in the air base.
While the morning aerobatics display was coming to an end, defence officials had to make announcements to stem the panic among the thousands who had gathered on the first of the two public days of the five-day air show.
The smoke brought back fears of a plane crash coming just days after Tuesday’s fatal collision of two Hawk aircraft during a rehersal of the IAF’s Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT) ahead of the air show,
Fire officials said the vast empty area near the parked cars contained a lot of dried grass, which could have ignited when someone threw a cigarette butt. Over 1,500 cars — primarily those who had bought the exhibition area tickets for ₹1,500 each – had parked at Gate 5.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: “A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of fire.” The city police have also started a probe to ascertain the cause of the fire. The IAF reassured people that the show would go on as scheduled on Sunday.
