'Mother Died While Hugging Children': Hyderabad Fire Survivor Recounts Heart-Wrenching Scene

News18

18-05-2025

Last Updated:
The Telangana fire department has identified the 17 victims. Eight of them are children, the youngest just one. Four are senior citizens, and five are women.
When a fire erupted in a home near Hyderabad's Charminar, residents rushed in as first responders and started bringing out those trapped inside. One of the residents, identified as Zahir, a bangle seller, shared a heart-wrenching account with NDTV.
Zahir described finding a woman who had desperately hugged her children, trying to shield them from the flames. Tragically, they were all burned beyond recognition in her final embrace. 'We managed to get inside shortly after the fire started. The flames were huge. Inside the room, a woman had hugged the children. She was dead," Zahir said.
According to the information so far, the fire was caused due to an electrical problem and the victims were caught unawares because they were sleeping. Rescue efforts were severely hampered by the building's outdated structure. The century-old shops had rooms constructed above them, with rows of windows that were likely closed at night due to air conditioning.
In the case of a fire, this would lead to a massive build-up of smoke in the small rooms. Another problem is the single, narrow entry point to access the rooms.
'We brought out 13 people. We could not see anything due to the smoke. We pulled down a wall to get inside," Zahir said, adding that most victims burned to death, and smoke choked the others.
The Telangana fire department has identified the 17 victims. Eight of them are children, the youngest just one. Four are senior citizens, and five are women. Only one family member survived because she was out for a walk.
Y Nagi Reddy, director general of Telangana fire services, said that after receiving the information about the blaze at 6:16 AM, 11 fire engines with the required staff were dispatched immediately. The firefighters had to use oxygen masks and breathing apparatus to rescue the people trapped in the building.
He said the fire seems to have started at the electrical mains and then spread to the shops on the ground floor. 'Then the smoke spread to the other floors, a lot of heat was generated in the area," he said, adding that inhaling smoke makes people unconscious, making escape difficult.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his anguish at the loss of life in the Hyderabad building fire. He also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakhs from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of those who lost their lives. Rs 50,000 will be given to those who were injured in the mishap.
First Published:
May 18, 2025, 17:33 IST