A heart-wrenching tragedy struck the historic heart of Hyderabad early Sunday morning as a massive fire engulfed a building near the iconic Charminar, claiming the lives of at least 17 people, including eight children and five women. The inferno, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, tore through a commercial-cum-residential structure in the tightly packed Gulzar House area, reducing lives and livelihoods to ash in mere minutes.
The fire department received a distress call at around 6:30 am, and within moments, fire engines were dispatched to the densely populated market zone. Despite the swift response and deployment of eleven fire tenders, rescue efforts were severely hampered by the structure’s age, its narrow alleys, and the building’s limited access points. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sneha Mehra confirmed that the building had only one main entrance, forcing firefighters to break through an alternate entry to access those trapped inside. “Most of the victims were unconscious when found,” she stated, underlining the intensity and speed with which the fire spread.
Located in one of Hyderabad’s oldest trading zones, the building was part of a row of tightly packed jewellery shops, many of which are over a century old. With most establishments sharing walls and undergoing layers of unregulated construction over the years, the fire quickly escalated, feeding on wooden partitions, old wiring, and flammable materials stored within.
Among the deceased were four senior citizens—Prahlad, Munni, Rajender Modi, and Sumitra—and eight children, ranging in age from one to seven: Hamey, Priyansh, Iraaj, Arushi, Rishabh, Pratham, Anuyan, and Iddu. The others who tragically lost their lives were Abhishek, Sheetal, Varsha, Pankaj, and Rajini. The affected family lived in the residential quarters above their shop, a common arrangement in the area.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy visited the site and met the grieving families, expressing deep sorrow over the incident. “I am not here to accuse anyone,” he said, “but it’s clear that our emergency response infrastructure—fire, police, municipal, and electricity departments—needs urgent strengthening. There were reports that firefighters initially lacked proper equipment. We must adopt better technology. I will speak to the Prime Minister and central authorities to secure financial aid for the victims’ families.”
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also conveyed his shock, directing officials to ramp up relief and rehabilitation efforts and ensure top medical care for the injured. Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar confirmed that all bodies had been recovered and shifted to hospitals, promising that detailed information would be released soon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, deeply anguished by the scale of the tragedy, announced ex-gratia payments from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund—Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. In a statement, the PMO said, “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.”
The disaster has ignited fresh concern over fire safety norms in Hyderabad’s heritage and commercial zones. While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be officially confirmed, the preliminary suspicion of a short circuit adds to the growing list of infrastructure-related disasters in India’s older urban centers, where modernization often lags behind population growth and commercial expansion.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the focus now shifts to accountability, preparedness, and long-term urban planning. The grief of a city mourning the loss of its children and families is compounded by the realization that such a catastrophe could have been averted with stricter enforcement of safety regulations and better-equipped emergency services.
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This story has been rewritten and is published from a syndicated feed and auto web generated news web story.
