At least 16 people killed in massive fire near Hyderabad's Charminar

AT to the lowest degree 16 people were killed and another 10 injured when a devastating go off skint come out in a commercial-cum-residential edifice at the historic Gulzar House, adjacent to the iconic Charminar monument in the old city of Hyderabad, on Sunday morning, the police said.According to a senior police official from the Charminar police station, the fire broke out around 6.30 am on the ground floor of a building housing some jewellery shops and soon spread to the upper floors of the three-storey structure.While no one was present in the shops at the time, several families were staying in rooms on the upper floors. Due to the fire, an air conditioner compressor in one of the shops exploded, causing the blaze to engulf the entire building and trapping several residents inside.Firefighters and disaster response teams from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Disaster Response Force (DRF), and local police rushed to the scene to control the blaze and rescue those trapped.Despite their efforts, the intensity of the fire and thick smoke made rescue operations extremely challenging. Several occupants reportedly lost consciousness due to smoke inhalation and were rushed to nearby hospitals, including Osmania General Hospital, Yashoda Hospital (Malakpet), and DRDO Apollo Hospital.“Some victims died on the spot, while others succumbed to their injuries during treatment,” the police official said.According to the latest information, the deceased have been identified as Rajendra Kumar (67), Abhishek Modi (30), Sumitra (65), Munnibai (72), Arushi Jain (17), Sheetal Jain (37), Iraj (2), Harshali Gupta (7), Rajani Agarwal, Anya Modi, Pankaj Modi, Varsha Modi, Iddikki Modi, Rishabh, Pratham Agarwal, and Pranshu Agarwal. The ages of some of the victims are yet to be ascertained.Police suspect the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit, although a formal investigation is underway to determine the exact cause.Firefighters eventually brought the flames under control and safely evacuated a few remaining individuals from the building. The area around Gulzar House was enveloped in dense smoke, making it difficult for local residents to breathe.PM Modi offers condolencesPrime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep shock and anguish over the fire tragedy at Gulzar House in Hyderabad. “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 posted on X.He announced that an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and ₹50,000 to each injured person.Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stating that the loss of 16 lives was heartbreaking. He assured full support to the families of the victims and instructed officials to provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured.State Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar visited the accident site to assess the situation and discuss rescue efforts with officials.Union Minister for Coal and State BJP President G Kishan Reddy also visited Gulzar House and reviewed the situation. Speaking to the media, he criticized the delayed response of the firefighting teams, as alleged by some of the victims' families.He emphasized the need for better training and equipment for fire service personnel and called for the modernization of firefighting technology. He also assured that the Central government would extend support to the affected families and directed officials to ensure proper care for the injured.