Luckily, Bangalore blasts took place in the afternoon

Bangalore city police commissioner BG Jyothiprakash Mirji calls it a miracle. He entered the scene about 3pm and thanked the Almighty, as the death toll would have been painfully high if the incident had happened early in the morning or for that matter late in the evening. Most of them who had been residing in the building work in factories and private firms. Hence, they were out when the building collapsed.

Residents neighbouring the building were quick to react when the first blast occurred. A few lives were saved by them. About 20 minutes later, the second one brought the whole building down. Luckily, only two died in the incident. Five people who were in a house attached to the collapsed building were rescued.
Thanks to a weekday

The collapsed building had three floors. Each floor had three houses. Two families were residing on the first floor and the rest was occupied by bachelors. And, all of those bachelors had left for work in the morning.

So, all of them escaped death.

Rajamma, who was staying on the first floor, survived the mishap but lost all her furniture and valuables in the building crash. She and her husband work in factories and were out on the fateful day.

Fortunately, her father, mother and daughter had gone to her sister’s house in Kamakshipalya on Wednesday and hence, are alive today. “Both my parents and daughter went to my sister’s house. Otherwise, they might have been caught under the rubble,” Rajamma exclaimed. She said she lost her gold jewellery and Rs50,000 cash that was in her house. She met Mirji and additional commissioner of police (law and order) T Suneel Kumar and lodged a complaint on her lost jewellery. They asked her to wait till the debris are cleared.

Thanks to pitru-paksha
Pitru-paksha—a 16–lunar day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors—is not suitable for marriages and other functions as per the Hindu scriptures. Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Marriage Hall, which was attached to the collapsed building was empty on Wednesday, as there was no marriage or other function as part of Pitru-paksha. “The marriage hall is very busy every day. But, from past few days there was no functions as part of pitru-paksha. Otherwise many people may be stuck in the incident and died,” Nagaraj, a local resident said.

Police cordoned the area
The city police deployed more police personal at the tragic scene to avoid public rush towards the collapsed building to avoid any possible problem. The police suspects that the marriage hall and mobile tower which is on the top of hall could also fell. The police suspects that as the some portion of the marriage hall also damaged in the incident. So, all police inspectors, sub-inspectors, ACP’s and other rank police officers from the West division of city police deployed at the scene to avoid public. Even though the huge crowd gathered near the tragic scene. But, the police did not allow them to near the collapsed building or marriage hall.

Traffic diversion
The traffic police also closed the Magadi Main Road at Sumanahalli junction avoid crowd and vehicles on road as the collapsed building close to main road. The police stopped the entry to all the vehicle to the Magadi Main Raod at the junction and made alternative route for them.