Bengaluru, Aug 11 (IANS): Ten staff members suffered serious injuries in a fire that broke out at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office here on Friday, officials said.

The incident took a political turn following the Congress and BJP suspecting that the incident is not a tragedy but carried out intentionally to destroy documents.

The fire emanated from the Quality Division Lab and office in the BBMP headquarters.

The fire services personnel reached the spot and extinguished the fire.

Meanwhile, 10 staffers suffered injuries and had been admitted to the Saint Martha’s Hospital. One of the injured persons has suffered serious burn injuries and he had been shifted to the Burns Ward of the Victoria hospital. The eye witnesses said that the fire emanated from a chemical explosion in the lab.

Tests on the bricks, tar and other materials are carried out in the lab. Seven engineers, including two women, were injured in the incident.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated in Belagavi that he got to know that the incident had occurred due to an electric short circuit and he would find out about the incident once he reaches Bengaluru. Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar stated that there were important documents in the building and he will react once he comes back to Bengaluru.

"The investigation should be done to ascertain the fire tragedy is carried out to destroy documents. The BJP has stage managed the fire accident and torched the room where documents are maintained following the 40 per cent commission corruption case handed over to the judicial probe,” the Congress stated on social media, but deleted the post afterwards.

BJP MLC N. Ravikumar said that it has to be ascertained whether it was an accident or someone carried it out deliberately.