Eight killed in building fire near Hyderabad's Charminar

IANS May 18, 2025 579 views

A devastating fire broke out near Hyderabad's iconic Charminar, claiming eight lives in a pearl trader's building. The incident involved approximately 30 people, with victims including children and women from the Modi Pearls family and employees. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy reported a potential short circuit as the cause and promised to seek financial assistance from Prime Minister Modi. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has directed officials to provide immediate support and medical treatment to survivors.

"There was some delay in providing relief by the fire services department" - G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister
Hyderabad, May 18: At least eight people were killed and some others injured in a huge fire that broke out in a building in the old city of Hyderabad on Sunday.

Key Points

1

Massive fire engulfs pearl trader's building near historic Charminar

2

Eight lives lost, including children and women

3

Short circuit suspected as primary cause

4

Revanth Reddy directs officials for immediate rescue

The incident occurred at Gulzar Houz near the historic Charminar. The dead include two children and four women.

The firefighters rescued some people trapped in the ground+1 building located in a congested lane in the commercial area.

Some people fell unconscious due to the thick smoke that enveloped the premises. There were about 30 people belonging to the family of a pearl trader and his employees.

The pearl trader's shop, Modi Pearls, was on the ground floor, while his family and the families of some workers lived on the first floor.

Eight fire engines were pressed into service to douse the fire. Senior police officials rushed to the spot.

The deceased have been identified as Rajendra Kumar (67), Sumitra (65), Munni Bai (72), Abhishek Modi (30), Arushi Jain (17), Sheetal Jain (37), Arashadi (7) and Iraj (2).

Injured have been admitted to Osmania, Yashoda Malakpet, Apollo DRDO and Apollo Hyderguda hospitals.

Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, who visited the spot, told media persons that the fire broke out around 6 a.m. in the building above a pearl shop.

He said there was some delay in providing relief by the fire services department.

He said that the preliminary inquiry shows a short circuit led to the mishap. He said he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce financial assistance to the affected families.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has expressed shock over the fire accident. He directed officials to take all steps to rescue the people trapped in the fire.

According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Chief Minister was in touch with police and fire services department officials.

He directed the officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.

Charminar MLA Mir Zulfiqar Ali visited the accident site and spoke to officials.

The incident occurred two days after a fire in a multistorey building in Siddi Amber Bazar. The firefighters had rescued about 10 people in this accident.

Kishan Reddy called for steps to prevent such incidents. He said there should be regular monitoring by police, fire services, GHMC and electricity departments.

Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
Heartbreaking news from our beloved Hyderabad 😢 The loss of innocent lives, especially children, is unbearable. The old city's narrow lanes make rescue operations so difficult. GHMC must conduct regular fire safety audits in these congested areas.
R
Rahul S.
Why do we wait for tragedies to happen before taking action? After the Siddi Amber Bazar fire just two days ago, authorities should have been on high alert. My prayers with the affected families. Hope the compensation reaches them quickly.
A
Ananya M.
The pearl market near Charminar is always so crowded! Many buildings there are decades old with faulty wiring. This was waiting to happen. Government should make fire extinguishers and smoke detectors mandatory in all commercial-residential complexes.
V
Vikram J.
While we appreciate the firefighters' efforts, the reported delay in response is concerning. Hyderabad is a metro city - our emergency services need to be faster. Maybe we need more fire stations in the old city area.
S
Sunita P.
So many elderly victims... this is especially tragic. Many families in Hyderabad's old city live above their shops. We need better urban planning that separates residential and commercial spaces for safety. 🙏
K
Karthik R.
The mention of short circuit as cause shows our electrical safety standards need improvement. TSPC should conduct mandatory inspections in old buildings. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.

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Tags:
Hyderabad Fire Charminar Incident Modi Pearls G. Kishan Reddy Revanth Reddy Building Fire
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