A major fire broke out early this morning in a building near the famous Charminar in Hyderabad, killing at least 17 people. Among the dead are eight children and five women. The cause of the fire is not yet confirmed, but a short circuit is suspected.
The fire started around 6:30 am in the Gulzar House area, which has many jewellery shops and old buildings. Firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving a call. Eleven fire trucks worked to control the fire. Some people were rescued and taken to the hospital.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy visited the affected families. He said the family lived above their shop. He stressed the need to improve the fire department, police, electricity, and municipal services. He also said that better technology is needed and promised to talk to the Prime Minister about financial help for the victims’ families.
Inspected the fire accident site at Gulzar House near Charminar, Hyderabad today. Discussed with senior officials handling the situation regarding rescue and relief operations, and urged them to provide immediate medical support and help.
The Govt. of India will provide… pic.twitter.com/GMwhlM47ZH
— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) May 18, 2025
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed his sorrow and asked officials to provide the best medical care to the injured and speed up relief efforts.
The area where the fire occurred is very crowded, with old buildings packed closely together. Most of these buildings are over 100 years old.
Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar confirmed that all the bodies have been recovered and more details will be shared soon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened by the tragedy. His office announced that the families of those who died will receive ₹2 lakh each, and the injured will get ₹50,000 from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be…
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 18, 2025
Congress MP M Anil Kumar Yadav told reporters that the fire is now under control and praised the rescue teams for their efforts.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sneha Mehra said the building had only one entry point. Firefighters had to create another entrance to carry out the rescue. Many of the people inside were found unconscious. The building had some new construction but was mainly old with narrow pathways.
Among the dead are four elderly people — Prahlad, Munni, Rajender Modi, and Sumitra. The children who died include Hamey (7), Priyansh (4), Iraaj (2), Arushi (3), Rishabh (4), Pratham (1), Anuyan (3), and Iddu (4). The others who lost their lives are Abhishek, Sheetal, Varsha, Pankaj, and Rajini.
This is a heartbreaking incident that has left the city in mourning.
