According to fire officials, the flames started at the showroom in the ground floor and then spread to Hotel Ruby Pride where at least 25 guests were staying.
Secunderabad: As many as eight persons were killed and many others were injured after a massive fire broke out at a showroom of electric scooters and then spread to a hotel which was housed on the upper floors of a multi-storeyed building in Secunderabad. The incident took place in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
In a tweet the Prime Minister’s Office said, “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”.
According to fire officials, the flames started at the showroom in the ground floor and then spread to Hotel Ruby Pride where at least 25 guests were staying. According to preliminary investigation, all the four seem to have died of asphyxiation, officials said.
Using crane ladders, the Fire Department officials and the local residents saved many people. Meanwhile, videos of people jumping out of the hotel window have gone viral. While the bodies of those who died have been sent for post-mortem, the injured have been taken for treatment to various hospitals.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand said, “There appears to be 23 rooms in the hotel. The smoke travelled to the top floors through the staircase. Some guests came out to the corridor and died due to asphyxiation. It is being investigated if the fire was caused due to short circuit or charging of the batteries of the electric scooters.”
Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mehmood Ali condoled the loss of lives and said a probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. The state government also announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each for the families of the victims.
