Telangana: 9 killed after chemicals catch fire in residential building
At least nine people were killed and several others injured after a massive fire reportedly broke out at a chemical godown located in a residential building in Telangana's Hyderabad on Monday. The incident took place in the Bazarghat area near Nampally around 9:30am, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) M Venkateshwarlu. The fire initially started as a small blaze in the stilt area of the building before rapidly spreading throughout the structure, per Hindustan Times.
Authorities launch rescue operations
Authorities said they quickly dispatched five fire trucks to the scene, along with two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), to aid in rescue efforts. Venkateshwarlu said that the fire was successfully contained within an hour, and 21 trapped individuals were rescued and transported to Osmania General Hospital. Among those rescued, eight were unconscious, and nine ultimately succumbed to their injuries—some from burns and others from asphyxiation.
Watch: Visuals of aftermath of the blaze
Deceased include minor children
According to The Quint, those who died in the fire were all tenants who lived on the first and second floors. The deceased include two children, aged five and 12. The police said that the building's owner, namely Ramesh Jaiswal, is currently absconding. They said he was using the ground floor of the building as a godown for oil drums and cans, against the rules. Jaiswal has chemical factories in other places in the city too.
Alleged cause of fire, regulatory violations
Meanwhile, initial investigations suggested that the fire was triggered during a car repair on the stilt floor, where several drums containing a flammable chemical used in fiber-plastic manufacturing were also stored. However, the cause of the fire and how it spread to other floors were yet to be ascertained. Venkateshwarlu emphasized that storing such chemicals in a densely populated residential area was not permitted, adding that no action could be taken unless a formal complaint was filed.
