HYDERABAD: A fire broke out at the Bacha’s furniture shop, a G+4 building, in Nampally on Saturday afternoon, leaving five persons, including two children, suspected to be trapped inside. The fire is believed to have started around 1 pm in the cellar and spread to the upper floors.
Those trapped were identified as Bebi (44), Syed Habib (40), Mohammed Imtiaz (26), Praneeth Kumar (11) and his brother Akhil (7).
Bebi worked as a watchwoman and lived in the cellar with her children. Praneeth and Akhil also stayed in the same building, where their father Thokala Yadaiah has been working as a salesman for 23 years. Habib and Imtiaz were employees of the furniture shop and rushed into the building to rescue the others trapped.
Teams from the Hyderabad Disaster Response Force, Telangana police, HYDRAA and the National Disaster Response Force rushed to the spot. Fire tenders, cranes, robots and other equipment were pressed into service. Vehicular traffic on the road was completely stopped to allow movement of emergency vehicles. Power supply in the area was cut.
Although the fire was brought under control, thick smoke continued to billow from the building, hampering rescue operations for several hours. Firefighters said visibility inside was almost nil due to smoke and heat.
Telangana Disaster Response and Fire Services Director General Vikram Singh Mann said the cellar and basements, meant for parking, had been used to store furniture. “It is too early to comment on the cause. It could be a short circuit or some other reason,” he said, adding that the stored furniture made access difficult.
Basements illegally used to store furniture: Collector
Hyderabad Collector Dasari Harichandana said people from three families were believed to be trapped. She said two basements had been illegally used for furniture storage, increasing the intensity of the fire. The shop owner, Satish Bacha, was absconding, she added.
A local resident who attempted a rescue said he could not proceed due to heavy smoke. “I could hear people shouting ‘open, open’, but it was too dark and smoky to go further,” he said.
Family members waited outside the building as operations continued. Bebi’s son Sameer Khan said his mother had answered his call during the early stages of the fire. “She told me she was coming out. After that, her phone was switched off,” he said.
Praneeth and Akhil’s father Yadaiah said he was not inside when the fire broke out. Lakshmi, the boys’ mother, said she had spoken to them shortly before the incident. “I told them to stay inside and watch television. That was the last time I spoke to them,” she said.
According to GHMC officials, the building had the required permissions and an occupancy certificate. Civic staff were present at the site to monitor the situation.