Hyderabad, May 18:
Seventeen people, including eight children, lost their lives in a devastating fire that broke out near Gulzar House in Hyderabad’s Old City early Saturday morning. The incident occurred close to the historic Charminar, sending shockwaves across the region.
The victims have been identified as Prahlad (70), Munni (70), Rajendar (65), Sumitra (60), Hamye (7), Abhishek (31), Sheetal (35), Priyans (4), Iraaj (2), Arushi (3), Rishabh (4), Pratham (1), Anuyan (3), Varsha (35), Pankaj (36), Rajjini (32), and Iddu (4).
Rescue operations were carried out by 70 personnel and 17 officers, who managed to save 17 individuals trapped inside the burning building. The narrow lanes and poor access to the site posed significant challenges, prompting reinforcement from nearby fire stations. The operation lasted two hours.
While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be officially confirmed by the fire department, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, who visited the site, said a short circuit was the likely cause. “The accident happened due to a short circuit. Many lives have been lost. Some have been injured. I’m not blaming anyone, but as Hyderabad rapidly develops, our emergency services — police, municipal, fire, and electricity departments — must be strengthened,” he said.
The fire department deployed advanced rescue equipment, including a fire-fighting robot and Bronto Skylift hydraulic platforms, to combat the flames and reach those trapped in the upper floors.
Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and AIMIM leader and former Charminar MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan were present at the site to oversee the ongoing rescue and relief efforts. Speaking to the media, Minister Prabhakar said, “The fire broke out around 6:00 am, and by 6:16 am, fire services were at the scene. The team did its best, but the fire had already spread extensively by then. Unfortunately, most of the occupants could not be saved.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the tragedy in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“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 Prime Minister also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy reached out to Minister Prabhakar for updates and also spoke to the bereaved families to offer his condolences.
Investigations into the exact cause of the fire and assessment of property loss are currently underway.
