Minor fire at Chinnaswamy Stadium delays start of IPL match

A minor fire inside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday delayed the start of the IPL match by 20 minutes. The fire was caused due to short-circuit in generator cables. “The match has been delayed by 20 minutes due to a small fire on the right side of the pavilion, but off the field in front of the eastern stand,” said a Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official.

The fire broke out at 3.45 pm in front of the G-stand, behind one of the make-shift ramps for cheerleaders, thus forcing the host team to keep cheerleaders away from the ramps. The fire was brought under control and the match began 20 minutes behind schedule. Sparks from the cables — laid out in front of the gallery —led to a fire and caused panic among spectators seated in the front rows of the G-Stand. Security personnel doused the fire in just over five minutes.

KSCA president Anil Kumble, secretary Javagal Srinath and match commissioner Raju Mukherjee rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

After ensuring that the fire had been extinguished, they gave a go-ahead for the match to begin at 4.20 pm.

“We are investigating the cause of fire. There is no cause for alarm as nobody is injured or property damaged. As a pre-cautionary measure, we have delayed the start for clearing up the place,” said a KSCA official.