A devastating fire in Hyderabad's Old City, near the historic Charminar, has claimed the lives of at least 17 people, including eight children and five women. The tragedy occurred early Sunday morning in a residential building located in the Gulzar Houz area.
The fire department received a distress call around 6:30 AM on May 18, 2025, and immediately dispatched eleven fire engines to the scene. Upon arrival, rescue personnel found several people unconscious inside the building. The victims were quickly evacuated and rushed to nearby hospitals, including Apollo Hospitals, Osmania General Hospital, and Yashoda Malakpet, for urgent medical attention.
Preliminary investigations suggest that a short circuit may have triggered the massive blaze. According to a fire service official, the preliminary examination points towards a short circuit as the cause of the fire. Telangana Disaster Response and Fire Services DG, Y Nagi Reddy, confirmed this, stating that the cause of death for all 17 victims was smoke inhalation, with no reported burn injuries.
The fire reportedly started on the ground floor of the building, which housed a Krishna Pearls shop, and rapidly spread to the two floors above, trapping residents inside. Narrow entrances to the building's first-floor home and an enclosed shopping space further complicated rescue efforts, contributing to the high death toll. Firefighters, equipped with breathing apparatus and oxygen masks, worked tirelessly to rescue those trapped inside the building. A fire fighting robot was also deployed.
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). Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar stated that some of the children who died were visiting their families for vacation.
The incident has prompted widespread grief and condolences. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his anguish over the loss of lives and announced financial assistance for the victims' families. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, who visited the site, emphasized the need to strengthen the fire, police, and electricity departments and to equip firefighters with better technology. He pledged to seek additional financial aid from the central government for the affected families. AIMIM legislator Asaduddin Owaisi also visited the site to assess the situation.
Telangana Health Minister is also taking stock of the situation at Osmania General Hospital. Emergency services, including fire and police officials, remain at the scene as investigations continue to determine the exact cause of the fire and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
