Miraculous escape for 8 in Begum Bazar blaze

Hyderabad: Eight residents, including a one-month-old infant, had a miraculous escape after a massive fire broke out in a four-storey residential-cum-commercial building in Maharajgunj, Begum Bazar, around 8.30 am on Thursday.The fire, which began on the first floor, quickly spread through the building, prompting a dramatic rescue operation.Fire officials deployed a Bronto skylift and ladder to evacuate the stranded residents from the third floor. Afzalgunj police have registered a fire accident case and begun an investigation.Preliminary reports indicate the blaze was caused by a short circuit. "The first-floor apartment was filled with inflammable materials such as disposable glasses, paper plates, and furniture, which allowed the fire to spread rapidly," said T. Venkanna, district fire officer–1, Hyderabad.It took five fire tenders from Gowliguda, Moghalpura, high court, Secretariat, and Salarjung Museum stations nearly eight hours to control the situation. "When we arrived, residents were huddled in balconies, crying for help. The firefighting team—comprising 40 personnel—used a fire robot, water bowsers, and multi-purpose tenders to battle the blaze. The operation continued till 5 pm," Venkanna added. All rescued individuals were shifted to Osmania Hospital for treatment.Locals said they were terrified watching the flames engulf the building and feared it would spread to neighbouring structures. Relief came only after firefighters successfully doused the flames.Officials expressed concern over the increasingly common practice of using basements and ground-floor areas to store inflammable materials. They warned that such misuse turns residential buildings into potential firetraps. In the last 18 months alone, Hyderabad has reported dozens of fires in residential-cum-commercial buildings, resulting in at least 17 deaths and 10 injuries. Several other structures have experienced minor fires due to illegal storage of hazardous items.