Hyderabad:
Shortly after a house fire broke out in a busy market area near Charminer in Hyderabad, local residents first participated as respondents and started bringing them out. Zaheer, who had a bangle business, was among them. Talking to NDTV after the tragedy, who left 17 people from a family, described a heart-wrenching vision: A woman embraced her children in a final-khai attempt to save her children from flames. He was included in that final hug.
“We managed to go inside shortly after the fire. The flames were very big. Inside the room, a woman hugged the children. She died,” Zaheer said.
After the fire, Zahid was the first one of the respondents
According to the information so far, the fire has started due to an electrical problem and the victims were caught unknown because they were sleeping. The nature of construction proved to be a major obstacle in rescue work. Most shops in this market are at least one century old, and rooms are constructed on them. Above the line of shops is a line of windows and most of these windows are probably closed at night when air-conditioners are on. In case of fire, this will make a large construction of smoke in small rooms. Another problem is single, narrow entry point to reach the rooms.
Zaheer said it was very difficult to go inside. He said, “We brought out 13 people. We could not see anything because of smoke. We pulled down a wall to go inside,” he said that most of the victims killed and smoked others.
A statement by the Telangana Fire Department has identified 17 victims. Eight of them are children, the youngest one. There are four senior citizens and five women. Only one family member survived as she was out for a walk.
DG Y Negi Reddy of Telangana Fire Services spoke to NDTV what the fire is
Telangana Fire Services Director General Y Negi Reddy told NDTV that the fire engine reached the spot after a fire call. “The main problem here is only one entrance. A very narrow ladder leads to the first and second floor. So in the case of fire, there is no way to escape.”
He said that the fire has started in electric men and then spread in shops on the ground. “Then the smoke spread to other floors, a lot of heat occurred in the area,” he said, “people faint the breath, which makes it difficult to escape.
Mr. Reddy urged shopkeepers in the area that it should understand that the fire will not save anyone and take sufficient precautions to ensure security.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said that he was “deeply suffering” from the loss of life in the fire. “Hyderabad, suffering from the loss of life in depth due to the tragedy of fire in Telangana. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured may recover soon. East-Gatiya of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF will be given to the next one of each deceased. The injured will be given Rs.”
Chief Minister Revantha Reddy has shocked the incident and asked the authorities to pursue relief efforts and ensure the best treatment for the injured.
