Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 25 : Rescue operations continued on Sunday after a major fire broke out at a furniture godown in Nampally, Hyderabad, on Saturday evening, killing at least three people.
A fire department official said, "We've identified three dead bodies and are shifting them to Osmania Hospital for post-mortem examination. Huge smoke is still coming from the building. We suspect a total of five people were trapped in the building, and the rescue operation is underway."
Earlier, rescue teams safely evacuated one individual who was trapped inside the premises.
Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh expressed concern over the incident and questioned the authorities' preparedness to deal with such emergencies. He alleged that six individuals were still trapped inside the building.
"It has nearly been 22 hours since the Nampally fire incident in which six people were trapped in the showroom. Police and fire officials are working continuously to save those six lives. We pray to God to save those lives. I also want to ask the Chief Minister about preparations for fire accidents. Can we save lives? The state government has no planning or preparations. The CM sends ministers on foreign tours for training and research; our fire officers should also be sent for training," Singh said.
Authorities said firefighting teams, along with police and other agencies, including the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency, the Disaster Response Force, and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, have been working around the clock since the fire broke out.
Officials said the blaze was reported on Saturday evening and that around 90 per cent of the fire had been brought under control by early Sunday.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Officials have not confirmed the total number of casualties or the extent of damage. Search and rescue operations continue to ensure that no one else remains trapped inside the building.
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