HYDERABAD: BRS working president K T Rama Rao said that the fire accident near Charminar should serve as a wake-up call to improve basic emergency infrastructure. He demanded that the government pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the kin of each deceased and provide support to the family in restarting their century-old business, which had served the city for over 100 years.
On Monday, Rama Rao met and consoled the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident. Speaking to reporters later, he clarified that he had no intention of criticising anyone but was voicing the concerns expressed by the victims’ families and highlighting urgent infrastructural gaps that need immediate attention.
Seventeen members of the family of jewellers, who had lived near Charminar for over 125 years, lost their lives in what Rama Rao described as one of the most painful tragedies in Hyderabad’s history. Among the victims were eight children.
“The victims’ families told us that fire engines arrived without water, and firefighters were unable to enter the premises due to the lack of proper protective masks. Ambulances also reached the spot unequipped — without oxygen cylinders or masks. Had these basic life-saving tools been available, some lives could have been saved,” Rama Rao said.
“They are not blaming anyone. Their only request is that such a tragedy should never befall any other family in the future,” he added.
Rama Rao criticised Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for not visiting the site of the tragedy. “This is not about politics—it’s about humanity. At a time when Hyderabad witnessed one of its worst fire tragedies, the chief minister’s presence would have offered solace to the grieving families and sent a strong message about the government’s commitment to public safety,” he said.