Eight persons are feared dead in a massive blaze that swept through a residential building in Bazaar Guard (more commonly known as Bazarghat) of Nampally area on Monday morning.
Bazaar Guard is a densely populated residential area with workshops and small scale industries located in the central part of Hyderabad close to the Hyderabad Railway Station.
Officials said that the fire broke out on the second floor of a five-storied residential building in Bazaar Guard on Monday morning. “Following a distress call at 9.35 a.m., seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot for firefighting. As per preliminary information, some chemical drums were reportedly being stored on the second floor flats, which caught fire and spread it,” said the officials.
The families residing in the third, fourth and fifth floors are trapped with the thick smoke and fire spreading up from the second floor. “We have rescued more than 10 people and the firefighting operation is still underway,” added the officials.
Around 12 barrels and 38 jerry cans filled with chemicals were removed and placed them outside the building to prevent the blaze from spreading further.
The deceased are Md. Azam (58), Rehana Sultana (50), Faiza Sameen (26), Thahoora Fareen (35), Tooba (6), Tarooba (13), Md. Zakeer Hussain (66), Hasib-ur-rahman (32) and Nikath Sultana (55). Three more people were injured. Firefighters rescued 16 people.
Union Minister and Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president G. Kishan Reddy, Municipal Administration & Urban Development Minister K.T. Rama Rao visited the accident site.