India: 8 children, 5 women among 17 killed in building fire near Hyderabad's Charminar

Dubai: At least 17 people, including eight children and five women, have died after a massive fire broke out in a building near Charminar in Hyderabad on Sunday morning.

Several people were found unconscious and rushed to various hospitals, according to local media. They said the building housed a jewellery store at ground level and residential space above.

A statement from the fire disaster response emergency and civil defence department in southern Telangana state, where Hyderabad is located, said they had received the call for help just after 6am local time (00:30 GMT).

“The fire broke out on the ground floor and spread to the upper floors. Firefighting, search & rescue operations were carried out simultaneously,” it said.

The statement also listed the names of 17 individuals who lost their lives.

“The accident happened due to a short circuit and many people have died,” federal minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader G Kishan Reddy told reporters at the site of the accident.

Reddy said the family affected in the fire lived on top of their shop in the Gulzar House area. "I met the family members. Such incidents are very sad. I am not accusing anyone, but police, municipality, fire and electricity departments must be made stronger. I was told the firefighters today did not have proper equipment initially. We must bring better technology in the coming days. I will talk to the central government and the Prime Minister and try to get financial help for the families of those who died in this incident," he said.

The fire broke out while most residents were asleep, reports said.
It originated on the commercial ground floor, with smoke rapidly spreading throughout the building and causing fatal suffocation to the occupants.

Sneha Mehra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said there was only one entry point to the building. "Another entry point was created and firefighters entered from there. Most of the people inside were unconscious," she said. "These are old establishments with some new construction. Only one narrow path leads to the area where the fire happened."

The victims include four senior citizens -- Prahlad, Munni, Rajender Modi and Sumitra. The dead children include Hamey (7), Priyansh (4), Iraaj (2), Arushi (3), Rishabh (4), Pratham (1), Anuyan (3) and Iddu (4). The others who died are Abhishek, Sheetal, Varsha, Pankaj and Rajini. 

The area where the tragedy occurred houses a row of jewellery shops and lies in close proximity to the iconic Charminar. Many of these establishments are over a century old and are tightly packed, often sharing walls.

Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar confirmed that the bodies have been recovered and sent to hospitals. He added that the state government will release full details shortly.

Prime minister Narendra Modi announced financial compensation for the victims’ families and said in a post on X that he was “deeply anguished by the loss of lives.”