Five people lost their lives in a massive fire that broke out in a four-storey furniture shop on Nampally Station Road in Hyderabad on Saturday. The dead include two children and an elderly woman, their bodies were recovered from the basement on Sunday. This incident is even more shocking because the deceased were members of the family of a watchman living in the basement, where by law there should have been only parking. Caught between fire and smoke, these people probably died of suffocation.
One carelessness destroyed the entire family
While present at the spot, it was painful to see how negligence destroyed an entire family. Telangana Disaster Response Department Director General Vikram Singh Mann said that huge quantities of furniture, raw materials, plastics, mattresses and dangerous chemicals were stored in both the basements of the building. The most shocking thing was that a room was also built in the basement for a security guard and his family, which was completely illegal.
During the rescue operation, the ramp leading to the basement was found blocked with goods, causing great difficulty to the relief and rescue teams. Police, fire service, NDRF and Hyderabad Disaster Response Agency (HYDRAA) personnel worked together to control the fire, but dense smoke was hampering rescue operations. The immediate response and presence of local leaders, MLC Mirza Rehmat Baig and Corporator Zafar Khan at the spot, accelerated the rescue operations.
Case registered against furniture shop owner
Police have registered a case against the owner of the furniture shop and have started investigating the cause of the fire. Post-mortem of the dead bodies will be done, which will reveal the exact cause of death. This incident highlights the negligence of building rules and safety standards in the city. Condolences have been expressed towards the families of the victims, but the question also arises that how can such a huge negligence happen and for how long will those responsible be spared.
