HYDERABAD: Three members of a family died in a fire in a two-storey building in Puppalaguda here on Friday. With the assistance of fire department officials, locals managed to rescue five persons from the blaze.
The deceased have been identified as 30-year-old Sijira Khatoon, 65-year-old Jameela Khatoon, and four-year-old Sahana Khatoon, all of whom died due to asphyxiation.
According to police, those who died were on the first floor of the building, while five others who were rescued were on the second floor when the fire broke out.
The incident occurred around 5.45 pm in an independent house owned by a kirana shop owner in Pasha Colony, Puppalaguda, under Narsingi police station limits. Among those rescued, two sustained fracture injuries and are currently under treatment at the Osmania General Hospital.
Short circuit suspected for fire mishap
Preliminary investigation suggested that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit in the kirana shop located on the ground floor.
Fire department officials told TNIE that they received an emergency call at 5.36 pm. “The Langer Houz fire tender was immediately dispatched to the site, followed by additional fire tenders from Vattinagulapally and Rajendranagar. Before their arrival, locals had already climbed the building and rescued the second-floor residents with our support. However, the first-floor residents had locked their doors, and locals were unaware if anyone was inside. Upon entering, we found three individuals and brought them out,” they explained.
A Manikonda municipality official said that locals had attempted to rescue the victims before the arrival of fire and other emergency teams. “A woman with burns on her face was found near the door, with two others behind her. We suspect she was trying to save the other two, which led to her injuries,” the official said.
“Initially, none of the victims was breathing. After performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the child briefly regained breath. They were rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared them dead,” the official added.
The official also highlighted the lack of proper ventilation in the house. “The building had only two ventilators, and one side was entirely blocked by a wall,” the official noted. The Narsingi police have registered a case and are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.