Trigger warning: Mention of death and graphic descriptions
When local residents and the fire brigade rushed into the burning building in Old Hyderabad on May 18 morning, they were met with heart-wrenching scenes. In one room, the burned body of a woman was seated on a chair huddling protectively over some children. Next to them, a man’s burned body lay. Another person still held on to their phone, the torch light shining, as though they had been seeking an escape when the fire engulfed them.
The tragic fire that killed 17 and injured many more in Old Hyderabad in the early hours of Sunday, May 18, broke out right next to the historic Gulzar Houz fountain and mere metres away from Charminar. The area, bustling with trade and tourists during the day, is a sought after destination for Hyderabadi pearls.
The fire, which broke out at 6:16 am in the Old City building, started on the ground floor and spread to the two floors above. The residents of the burned building were part of a joint family that owned the Krishna Pearls store. The families of four brothers lived together in the same building. Some of the deceased and injured children had been visiting family during the summer holidays when the tragedy struck.
Prabhu, who owns the Lakshmi Narayana Pearls just round the corner from the site of the fire, said that he has known the family since long. “The family has been in the pearls business for many generations,” Babu said. The name board outside the Krishna Pearls store read, “Since 1906”.
Mir Zahed, a bangle seller who was among the first to rush to the scene along with the fire brigade, told TNM that they found six bodies on the ground floor and seven on the second floor. Zahed and other residents recounted that it took around 40-45 minutes for the Fire and Safety officials to enter the building. “The building has only one entrance. A wall had to be broken to gain entry. That is what caused the delay,” they said.
By the time the fire brigade entered the building, the victims were found partially burned or unconscious, the residents recounted. “When we picked up the bodies, some of their skin peeled off because of the burns,” Zahed described.
Zahed and his friends were walking around the Charminar area when they saw smoke bellowing from the building and two women rushing to them seeking help. “The women shouted, ‘Please help, our families are trapped.’ Five or six of us gathered, broke the shutter, and entered the building. But it was too late, everyone was dead,” they said.
Mohammed Aamir and Mohammed Ibrahim, who were also part of the initial rescue efforts, spoke about how entry to the building was difficult. “A few of us were drinking tea nearby when the fire broke out. We rushed towards it when we found three four women standing helplessly. The entry to the house is a very narrow staircase. We tried to douse the fire using water and wet cloths, but no amount of water sufficed,” Ibrahim told TNM.
“We were unable to breathe owing to the smoke despite being there only briefly. The victims were trapped for over three hours. The door was jammed. When we finally got the door opened, there were dead bodies everywhere. Children were stashed in cupboards to keep them safe,” Ibrahim said.
“Seven charred bodies were huddled under a blanket, the phone torch in the hands of one of the bodies was still on,” said Aamir.
The deceased have been identified as Prahlad (70), Munni (70), Rajendar Modi (65), Sumitra (60), Hamey (7), Abhishek (31), Sheetal (35) Priyansh (4), Iraaj (2) Arushi (3), Rishabh (4), Pratham (1.5), Anuyan (3), Varsha (35), Pankaj (36), Rajini (32) and Iddu (4).
Recounting the initial hours of the tragedy, Zahed also said, “In the Old City, we all live in communal harmony. We didn’t think twice about rushing to help with the rescue when the fire broke out.”
Speaking to the media, GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi said, “When the fire broke out, unfortunately there was a short circuit. We do not yet know how many people have died. What we heard from the officers is that 17 people have died. The injured were immediately taken to the hospital. Everyone including Ministers, MPs, police, and the Fire Department are present here. Now we are rushing to the hospital to look at the people who are injured.”
The injured have been shifted to Yashoda Malakpet (8), Apollo Hospital Hyderguda (5), Apollo DRDO (2), Osmania General Hospital (1) and Care Hospital Nampally (1).
“The state government will review any mismanagement on part of the electricity department which could have caused a short circuit. The Chief Minister has directed the Principal Secretary (Health) Christina Chongthu to ensure that all medical facilities are provided to those injured,” Telangana Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar told the media.