One of the first responders at the scene recounted the moments and said he and a friend rushed to help before the official rescue teams arrived.
Published May 18, 2025 | 2:56 PM ⚊ Updated May 18, 2025 | 6:49 PM
Rescue efforts following the fire near Charminar in Hyderabad.
Synopsis: A devastating fire near Charminar in Hyderabad claimed the lives of 17 people, including eight children, and left many others injured. The blaze, which started on the ground floor around 6.16 am, quickly spread to the upper residential floors, trapping families inside.
A devastating fire that broke out early Sunday morning in a G+2 building at Gulzar Houz Chowrasta near Charminar in Hyderabad claimed the lives of 17 people, including eight children, and left many others injured.
Relatives of the deceased questioned Congress Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Yadav, who visited the hospital, regarding the lack of an oxygen facility in ambulances.
“There are photos of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, but there was no mask inside. The child was alive when she was taken, but due to asphyxiation, she couldn’t breathe properly. If an oxygen mask had been there, she could have been saved,” said the agitated kin of the deceased.
According to the Telangana Fire Disaster Response and Emergency Services, the fire broke out at 6.16am on the ground floor of the G+2 building.
The first water tender from Moghalpura Fire Station was dispatched at 6.17am and reached the site by 6.20am. The blaze quickly spread to the upper residential floors, trapping families inside.
Firefighting, search, and rescue operations were carried out simultaneously. Despite challenges including narrow lanes, poor site access, and a single narrow staircase filled with smoke, firefighters managed to rescue 17 individuals from the first floor and shift them to hospitals.
The deceased have been identified as:
Adults: Prahlad (70), Munni (70), Rajendar Modi (65), Sumitra (60), Abhishek (31), Sheetal (35), Varsha (35), Pankaj (36), Rajini (32)
Children: Hamey (7), Priyansh (4), Iraaj (2), Arushi (3), Rishabh (4), Pratham (18 months), Anuyan (3), Iddu (4)
Due to access constraints, assistance was called from nearby fire stations.
In total, 12 fire appliances, including 11 vehicles and one advanced firefighting robot (which was ultimately not required), were deployed.
A Bronto Skylift hydraulic platform was used to reach the upper floors. The operation involved 17 officers and 70 personnel, and lasted for over two hours.
According to officials, the building’s design contributed to the difficulties: only one narrow, centrally located staircase led to the upper floors, and bikes parked on the ground floor blocked access while feeding the flames.
With no alternative exit or external windows for ventilation, firefighters had to drill a hole through a wall to rescue trapped residents.
The suspected cause of the fire remains under investigation, although GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi has stated it was due to a short circuit. The extent of property damage has not yet been determined.
One of the first responders at the scene recounted the moments and said he and a friend rushed to help before the official rescue teams arrived.
“Today being Sunday and Chor Bazar day, my friend and I were heading to set up our shop around 6.10 am when we heard someone shouting that a building nearby had caught fire,” he said.
Without hesitation, the duo rushed to the location. “We tried to enter from the backside, but the flames were intense, and it was impossible to get in. Somehow, with the help of a few others, we managed to climb upstairs and break open a door,” he recalled.
What they saw inside was heartbreaking. “Seven people were lying together — all of them dead. It was a horrifying sight. But driven by humanity, we pushed ourselves to go in and try to help, even before the fire teams arrived,” he said.
“I just came to set up my stall in the morning when there was a huge commotion near Charminar. I saw a lot of people gather and the firefighters were in action. It was surprising to see and I was concerned for the people stuck. However, this being close to Charminar, I had to set up shop for the tourists,” said Rizvan Ahmed, a street vendor.
Meanwhile, Science and Technology Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha inspected the bodies of the fire victims at the Osmania Hospital morgue and visited the family members of the deceased and expressed his condolences to them.
He assured the victims’ families that they should be brave and that the government would stand by them and instructed the health department officials to complete the post-mortem process quickly and ensure that the victims’ families do not face any inconvenience.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on the phone and inquired about the details of the fire. The chief minister told Kharge that he was reviewing the relief operations from time to time and that ministers had gone to the scene of the incident for monitoring.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sumit Jha and Saicharan Sana.)
