One dead, several injured in massive blaze in Old City shop

Hyderabad: One died while six others suffered injuries in a massive fire at the Gomathi Electronics near Shalibanda Clock Tower, Lal Darwaza road, Old City on Monday night. A series of loud explosions following the fire triggered panic across the area.

The fire led to thick smoke and high flames engulfing the building and adjoining portions. Several ACs, refrigerators, washing machines, geysers and other electronic appliances exploded due to the intense heat, sending shockwaves across the area. The impact of the fire was so severe that the shop’s shutter was blown off and thrown nearly 100 meters away.

Due to the dense smoke and continued explosions, authorities promptly evacuated the nearby residents as a precautionary measure. All the injured were immediately shifted to Osmania General Hospital and nearby private hospital for treatment.

According to police, shop owner Shivakumar Bansal was at the showroom when he heard the sudden blast sounds. Within moments, flames engulfed the premises, leaving him with severe burn injuries. He collapsed inside the showroom and was later shifted to Apollo Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.

During the incident, an unknown male aged around 50 years standing near the shop, was injured and rushed to Osmania General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The fire department officials said that the fire started around 10:25pm due to a short circuit, completely gutting it, which led to a CNG cylinder explosion in a car parked in front of the shop. The fire quickly spread to the adjoining warehouse and other shops, resulting in huge property loss. A cloth shop was also completely gutted in the fire.

As many as 10 fire engines, a Skylift Bronto, and a firefighting robot were pressed into service to douse the fire, said a senior fire officer.

An eyewitness said: “With the massive explosion, the store’s shutter blew apart and pieces flew all over. Our entire building’s glass shattered and fell. Also, the false ceiling collapsed suddenly. The electricity went off instantly, and we were stuck in complete darkness.” With the shutter blast, the car parked in front of the store caught fire and exploded.”

South Zone DCP Kiran Khare Prabhakar said that a short circuit is suspected to be the initial cause of the fire. “A detailed investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.”

The blazing impact caused the century-old Raja Rai Devdi Clock Tower to freeze at the exact time of the incident. The clock hands frozen at 10.25 pm, the exact moment the explosion is believed to have occurred.

Meanwhile, the Moghalpura Police and Fire Department officials are investigating the cause of both the fire and the CNG car blast. The CCTV footage and videos captured by bystanders are being examined to piece together the sequence of events.