Horrifying details have come to light from the deadly fire that occurred in Hyderabad on Sunday. According to reports, 17 members of a family, including eight children, lost their lives in the massive fire. The fire broke out at a residential building above the Krishna Pearls shop in Gulzar House.

The building, where the fire erupted is reportedly very close to Hyderabad’s iconic historical monument Charminar. The victims of the incident, ranging in age from 1 to 73. All were trapped inside the building as the fire rapidly engulfed the whole structure.

Bystanders Try to Rescue Victims Amid Flames

According to reports, Zahid, a local bangle shop owner, and his friends were among the first to witness the fire. Both arrived after a woman from the building alerted them to the fire. Despite their quick response, the fire had already consumed much of the building.

“As the main door of the building was engulfed in flames, we broke the shutter and also a wall and went inside. As the blaze was high we went to the first floor. We found seven people in one room and six others in another room. We were not able to save them due to the fire. Had we saved them it would have been good,” he told news agency PTI.

Mother found clutching 4 children amid flames

They also recalled one of the most heart-wrenching sights on scene. One of the women was clutching her four children amid the intense fire. All the four were reportedly found dead, charred by the flames. “We could barely see through the smoke. We managed to bring out 13 people, but none of them survived,” Zahid added.

According to reports the family lived in the building for over a hundred years. The tragedy has left the entire community in mourning. Now only two surviving members of the once-large family are left behind.

Challenges in Rescue Operations

In addition, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Sneha Mehra highlighted the challenges faced by rescue teams. This was due to the building’s structure, which had only one initial entry point. The firefighters had to create another entry to gain access inside the building. She also noted that the area consists of old establishments with some new constructions and is characterized by narrow pathways.

Reports suggest that the area where the incident occurred has a row of jewellery shops, The building is very close to the iconic Charminar historical monument of Hyderabad. he affected area near Gulzar House is known for its numerous century-old jewellery shops situated close to each other. Authorities have confirmed that an investigation into the matter is underway.

Victims Identified

So far the identified deceased are as follows:

1. Abhisekh Modi (30)

2. Rajender Kumar (67)

3. Munnibhai (72)

4. Sumitra (65)

5. Iraj (2 years)

6. Arushi Jain (17)

7. Harshali Gupta (7 years)

8. Sheetaj Jain (37)

(Further names are awaited as identification processes continue)

Swift Response but Extensive Damage

Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, stated that the fire broke out around 6:00 am in the morning. She claimed that the Telangana Fire Department arrived at the scene as soon as possible by 6:16 am. Prabhakar also said that despite the fire department’s rapid response, the fire had already spread significantly.

She also said the bodies have been recovered and sent to hospitals and that the state government will share full information soon as the identification process continues. According to reports the fire was so massive that it spread across the building rapidly trapping people inside and resulting in the tragic loss of 17 lives. The firefighters managed to rescue around 10 to 15 people from the building.

Political Leaders Express Grief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep anguish over the tragedy on X. The PMO in a post on X wrote, “Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000”.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, along with Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and former Charminar MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, visited the site. The visit was to oversee rescue operations and assess the situation.

Reddy said, “The fire broke out in a pearl shop owned by a family. The accident happened due to a short circuit. Many people have died in the accident. Some have been injured. I am not blaming anyone, but since Hyderabad is a rapidly developing city, the police, municipal, fire, and electricity departments should be strengthened.”

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has spoken with Minister Ponnam Prabhakar for detailed updates on the inciden. The CM also extended his condolences to the victims’ families. He has directed officials to intensify relief efforts and ensure the best possible medical treatment for those injured in the tragedy.