Hyderabad: At least nine persons, including four women, were killed in a fire that broke out in a five-storey residential building in Hyderabad's Nampally area on Monday, said officials. The fire first broke out in a car garage on the ground floor and spread quickly to the upper floors. One car and two bikes were among the property which was destroyed in the flames.
The deceased include a 40-day-old baby and four women. Sparks during repair work on a bike triggered fire which escalated quickly due to presence of chemical and diesel drums placed nearby, sources said. At least 21 people were rescued from the building. Among them, 10 people were found unconscious after inhaling smoke and they were shifted to the Osmania Hospital.
The fire staff used high-rise ladders to rescue the victims. Four firefighting engines rushed to the spot on receiving the information abut the blaze. The chemical godown is located in the four-storeyed building. Families are also living in some part of the building. The officials of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) initiated efforts to rescue the trapped victims.
DCP Venkateswarlu, who visited the spot, said that the fire broke out due to sparks that emanated during car repair works in the ground floor. Some persons were trapped inside and suffocated to death and others were shifted to hospital, he said. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed grief over the deaths.
Tamilisai Soundararajan directed the Chief Secretary to take immediate measures to provide comprehensive medical assistance to those who sustained injuries in the incident and also issued directives to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, a Press Communique from Raj Bhavan said.
The Governor further directed to furnish a comprehensive report on the circumstances leading to the fire, the response mechanisms in place, and the corrective measures that can be implemented within the next two days, it said. The Chief Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each deceased. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Telangana Minister K T Rama Rao also visited the place.
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