Hyderabad: A blaze triggered by a suspected short circuit in a building near the iconic Charminar here on Sunday killed 17 people, including eight children, belonging to an extended family.
The fire broke out at a building in Gulzar House here, police said.
“All 17 who were shifted to hospitals were brought dead,” a senior police official told PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the loss of lives and announced ex-gratia.
A narrow staircase was the only escape route for the inmates of the building, but they could not rush out, a Fire Department official said.
The building housed jewellery shops on the ground floor and people were residing in a flat above, police said adding smoke spread and people suffocated.
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi told reporters that the family has been residing there for 125 years, indicating that generations from the particular family have been living there for over a century.
The family is said to be running a jewellery shop in the city.
“Now only two members of the family are left. I want to offer my condolences. I was informed by DG Fire Services that most of the deaths happened due to asphyxiation and fumes…let the report come, it is very painful,” he said.
Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Director General Y Nagi Reddy, who inspected the spot, told reporters that the fire was reported between 6- 6.15 am.
During the rescue operation, one Fire official was also injured and admitted to hospital.
There was a call to the fire department at 6.16 am and the fire engine was turned out at 6.17 AM, he said.
There were shops on the ground floor while the first and second floors were residential spaces, he said.
“Prima-facie cause of the fire is short circuit in the mains in the shopping area,” Reddy said, adding the victims were sleeping when the fire broke out.
A total of 21 people were in the building when the fire erupted, and of them 17 were shifted to hospitals by the fire department in an unconscious state.
There was only one escape route, the staircase, which was very narrow and the inmates could not run to safety, he said.
Telangana Fire Department in a statement said the fire broke out on the Ground floor ( G+2 building) and spread to the floors above.
In a post on X, PM Modi expressed condoled the deaths.
He announced Rs 2 lakh for the kin of those who died and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
“Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” the post said.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the incident and directed senior officials to take all necessary measures to rescue those trapped in the building.
Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka told reporters said the state government has announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia each to the kin of the deceased.
Governor Jishnu Dev Varma conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.
Addressing reporters after visiting the spot, Transport and Hyderabad District in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said a short circuit caused the fire. “We will order an inquiry into the fire accident. There is no conspiracy angle in it…”
Four families related to one another were residing in the building and many of them came to spend their vacation, he added.
Shortly after the fire broke out, Zahid, who is into bangles business in Gulzar House area and an eyewitness to the fire incident told reporters that at around 6.10 AM when he along with friends were passing by, a woman told them about the fire that erupted in the building and there were family members with children inside.
“As the main door of the building was engulfed in flames, we broke the shutter and also a wall and entered inside. As the blaze was high we went to the first floor. We found seven people in one room and six others in another room. We were not able to save them due to the fire. Had we saved them it would have been good,” he said.
He further said he saw a dead woman hugging some lifeless children.
The Osmania Hospital mortuary, where bodies from different hospitals were sent for autopsy, wore a grim look as relatives burst into tears in shock. PTI GDK VVK
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy also visited the spot. He alleged that he was informed that fire tenders arrived late.
The allegation was dismissed by Nagi Reddy.
An official release from the CMO said directions were issued to immediately shift the injured to hospitals and ensure proper medical treatment.
