BANGALORE, India (AP) — Thousands of Indian troops battled for hours a huge fire emanating from a highly polluted lake, causing panic among thousands of people in the southern city of Bangalore, the army said Saturday. Nearly 5,000 soldiers swung into action on Friday after the fire threatened a military area with huge clouds of smoke billowing from the lake filled with sewage, chemical effluents and construction debris and choked with water hyacinth, an army statement said. The army said the efforts prevented the fire from engulfing civilian areas of Banagalore, one of India's key information technology hubs. Fire engines and water bowsers from nearby civilian areas also assisted in controlling the fire.