Eight persons have reportedly died and several injured in Telangana’s Secunderabad on Monday night after a fire broke out at an electric bike showroom’s charging unit on the ground floor of the building, and soon spread upwards to the Ruby Hotel on the first and second floor.
The fire spread to a hotel above the showroom quickly, the police said, adding that several persons in the hotel fell unconscious due to the smoke emanating from the charging unit.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone) Chandana Deepthi said that 22 persons were staying at the hotel when the accident happened. “The injured have been shifted to different hospitals in the city. Some of them who tried to escape the fire jumped through the windows and were injured,” she said.
#Hyderabad: Fire broke out at a building housing a bike showroom & Ruby lodge falling under Market Police station, #Secunderabad. Six people have been injured and shifted to Hospital. No deaths reported so far, cause of the accident is unclear, @DCPNorthZone tells @NewsMeter_In pic.twitter.com/Yd3RfDKu9m
— @Coreena Enet Suares (@CoreenaSuares2) September 12, 2022
Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mehmood Ali said a probe has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the fire.
“Fire brigade teams tried their best to rescue people from the lodge but due to heavy smoke, some people died. We are probing how the incident happened,” he said.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand said that the authorities suspect that either an e-bike or a generator exploded and led to the blaze.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he was saddened by the loss of lives and offered condolences to the families of those who died. He announced that Rs 2 lakh each would be paid from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the relatives of those who died, while Rs 50,000 each would be paid to those who sustained injuries.
Saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire in Secunderabad, Telangana. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be paid to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs. 50,000 would be paid to the injured: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 13, 2022