Hyderabad: A massive fire tore through a mixed-use building in Gulzar Houz, Old City, early Sunday morning, killing 16 people, including two children and four women. Six of the victims were burnt alive, while others succumbed to injuries at hospitals. The incident left several unconscious, with dozens rushed to Osmania and private hospitals nearby.
Officials suspect an electrical short circuit triggered the blaze. The fire began in the ground-floor jewellery shops and rapidly engulfed the upper residential floors. No one was present in the shops at the time, but multiple families were living upstairs.
The deceased were identified as 67-year-old Rajendra Kumar, 30-year-old Abhishek Modi, 65-year-old Sumitra, 72-year-old Muni Bai, 17-year-old Urvashi Jain, 37-year-old Sheetal Jain, 2-year-old Iraj, 7-year-old Harshali Gupta, Rajni Agarwal, Anya Modi, Pankaja Modi, Harsha Modi, E. Modi, Rishabh, Pradham Agarwal, and Pranshwa Agarwal.
Rescue operations were hindered by the building’s inaccessibility. With no proper entry routes, firefighters climbed adjacent structures to douse the flames and rescue those trapped. Two Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams and four fire brigades were deployed. Fire officials managed to rescue five people alive from the smoke-filled upper floors.
The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Fire Services said several were badly charred. The lower floors housed commercial units while the top three were used for housing. Thick smoke trapped many inside before help arrived.
GHMC Zonal Commissioner Anurag Jayanti, South Zone DCP Sneha Mehra, and senior officials supervised operations on site. Mughalpura and Gowliguda fire stations dispatched teams immediately.
Crowds gathered as word of the fire spread, with locals aiding in relief efforts.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the tragedy and directed officials to ensure the best medical care for the injured. In-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar oversaw rescue and relief measures. Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.
హైదరాబాద్ ఓల్డ్ సిటీ మీర్ చౌక్ లోని గుల్జార్ హౌస్ వద్ద జరిగిన అగ్నిప్రమాదంపై ముఖ్యమంత్రి ఎ. రేవంత్ రెడ్డి గారు దిగ్భ్రాంతి వ్యక్తం చేశారు. ఘటనపై మంత్రి పొన్నం ప్రభాకర్ గారితో మాట్లాడి వివరాలు తెలుసుకున్నారు. మంటల్లో చిక్కుకున్న కుటుంబాలను కాపాడేందుకు అవసరమైన అన్ని చర్యలు…
— Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) May 18, 2025
