At least 17 people, including six children, died after a massive fire erupted in a building in Gulzar Houz near Charminar early this morning. While the exact cause of the blaze has not been confirmed, a short circuit is suspected to have triggered the incident.
A fire department official stated they received an emergency call around 6:30 am and immediately dispatched teams to the scene. Eleven fire engines were deployed to battle the flames, and the injured were promptly taken to nearby hospitals.
The fire is believed to have originated in the ground floor of the three-storied building where the jewellery store was located.
A total of 21 people were present in the building when the fire started. 17 were shifted to hospitals by the fire department in an unconscious state, according to The Hindu.
AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi visited the spot of the accident and interacted with Telangana Disaster Response and Fire Services DG, Y Nagi Reddy.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said the family affected in the fire lived on top of their shop in the Gulzar House area. "I am not accusing anyone, but police, municipality, fire and electricity departments must be made stronger. I was told the firefighters today did not have proper equipment initially," he said.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has expressed shock over the incident and asked officials to step up relief efforts and ensure the best treatment for those injured.
The area where the incident occurred has a row of jewellery shops and is very close to the iconic Charminar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office said he was "deeply anguished" by the loss of lives in the fire. "Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000," the PMO said in a post on X.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister also announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for Gulzar Houz fire victims' families.
The Hindu reported that hospital official confirmed that post-mortem examinations of all 17 deceased individuals have been completed at Osmania General Hospital. The bodies were also handed over to the family members.
