HYDERABAD: Seventeen makeshift houses of migrant labourers were gutted after a major fire broke out at Bapuji Nagar in Secunderabad on Friday. The incident has displaced around 20 families but fortunately no casualties were reported. A cylinder explosion has added fuel to the fire.
Fire department officials suspect that a carelessly discarded cigarette butt could have caused the accident. The incident happened at around 12 noon and a distress call was made to the fire control room at 12.35 pm, following which three fire tenders from Secunderabad and Cantonment fire stations were sent to the spot. It took four hours to control the fire.
Around 20 tribal migrant families from Wanaparthy district have been living in the vacant place by erecting makeshift houses for years now. After the lockdown was implemented, they headed back to their native place in the last week of March as they couldn’t find work in the city. When the incident happened, only two families were said to be present in the houses. Around 50 people have come back after learning about the incident to collect their belongings. Authorities have provided them shelter at a nearby school.