HYDERABAD: Six persons, including four young women, reportedly died in the fire that broke out in Swapnalok Complex in Secunderabad on Thursday evening. The victims — identified as Shiva, Prashant, Pramila, Shravani, Vennela and Triveni — are reported to have suffocated to death after they locked themselves in a washroom to save themselves from the flames.
Officials said the fire broke out at around 7.45 pm on the fifth floor of the nine-storeyed building. Five fire tenders rushed to the spot to control the flames from spreading to other floors.
Earlier in the evening, a person, who was rescued by officials, was seen pleading with authorities to help his colleagues stuck in the washroom by providing oxygen.
A rescue team comprising Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)'s Disaster and Response Force (DRF) members were able to evacuate eight other people to safety using a hydraulic crane elevator. Many trapped persons flashed their torchlights on their mobile phones to get the attention of rescue personnel.
Officials evacuated the residents of the adjacent building fearing structural damages in the buildings due to the inferno.
Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav was overseeing the rescue operations at that time and assured him of assistance.
State Home Minister Md Mahmood Ali stated that six of the 12 people that were rescued were hospitalised.
Heavy smoke hampers rescue ops
At around 10:30 pm, officials started making announcements using a loudspeaker as they were unsure if anyone else was trapped inside. As there was no response, rescue teams checked the fifth floor. While the fire had been brought under control by this time, thick smoke made it difficult for rescue personnel to find anyone.
Subsequently, GHMC’s Enforcement Vigilance & Disaster Management (EVDM) director Prakash Reddy went in search of other trapped persons. Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi said the building was at least 25 years old. The primary focus is to rescue the trapped persons, if any, she said, adding that a short circuit in the elevator is suspected to have sparked the fire.
Minister Srinivas Yadav, Fire DG Y Nagi Reddy, Hyderabad Additional Commissioner of Police Vikram Singh Mann and EVDM director Prakash Reddy along with senior officials rushed to the spot and monitored the rescue operations.
The Swapnalok complex houses over 200 commercial establishments and a lot of people visit the complex on a daily basis. A large number of people were present in the building when the fire began at around 7.45 pm. The rescue and fire fighting operations were continuing till late night.
Recently, three persons were killed in a fire that had ravaged another commercial complex on Minister’s Road in Secunderabad.