17 killed in a huge fire near Hyderabad's Charminar (Lead)

Hyderabad, May 18 (IANS) Seventeen persons, including eight children, were killed in a huge fire that broke out in a building in the old city of Hyderabad on Sunday, police said.

The incident occurred at Gulzar Houz near the historic Charminar. The dead include two children and four women.

Director General of Police Jitender told media persons after visiting the accident site that 17 people were shifted to various hospitals.

"Eight of those shifted to Yashoda Hospital have been declared dead by doctors. We are gathering information about others," he said.

Minutes later, Telangana Fire Disaster Response Emergency and Civil Defence issued a statement listing 17 dead.

They have been identified as Prahlad (70), Munni (70), Rajendar Modi (65), Sumitra (60), Hamey (7), Abhishek (31), Sheetal (35), Priyansh (4), Iraaj (2), Arushi (3), Rishabh (4), Pratham (1.5), Anuyan (3), Varsha (35), Pankaj (36), Rajini (32) and Iddu (4).

According to the statement, the Fire Services Department received the information at 6.16 a.m. that a fire broke out in the ground+2 building. A water tender from Moghalpura rushed to the scene.

"Firefighting, Search and Rescue operations were carried out simultaneously, and 17 people, who were trapped on the first floor, were rescued by and shifted to the hospital," it said.

It said that due to the access constraints and to speed up the search and rescue operations, an assist call was given to other fire stations, and 12 appliances reached the fire ground and participated in the firefighting and rescue operations. A total of 11 vehicles, one Fire Fighting Robot, 17 Fire officers and 70 personnel were involved in extinguishing the fire and rescuing trapped persons. It took two hours to extinguish the fire

The police chief said the fire broke out in a building which has shops on the ground floor and a house on the top floor.

"As per preliminary source, the fire was caused by short circuit. People suffocated due to smoke,” he said.

The DGP said the firefighters doused the fire, but some smoke was billowing out.

Earlier, Hyderabad in-charge minister Ponnam Prabhakar told media after a visit to the spot that majority of the 17 people shifted to hospitals died.

He said the Fire Services Department received information at 6.15 a.m. and within minutes, fire tenders reached the spot.

"There was no negligence from any side. It was an accident," he said, adding that an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.

Director General of Fire Service Y. Nagi Reddy, Commissioner of Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) A. V. Ranganath and other officials visited the spot.

A pearl trader had his shop on the ground floor while his family and the families of some workers were residing on the first and second floors.

Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, who visited the spot, told media persons that there was some delay in providing relief by the Fire Services Department.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has expressed shock over the fire accident.

Spoke to Minister Ponnam Prabhakar about the fire incident on the phone and ordered to intensify rescue operations. He also enquired about the steps being taken for rescue and relief operations by the Police and Fire Service wings.

CM Revanth Reddy expressed condolences to the victim's families on the phone and assured them of all assistance from the government.

--IANS

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