India: Building fire kills 17 in Hyderabad – DW – 05/18/2025
At least 17 people were killed and several injured in a fire on Sunday that broke out at a building near the historic Charminar monument in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.
Several people were found unconscious and rushed to various hospitals, according to local media.
The fire was now brought under control, authorities said.
They said the building housed a jewelry store at ground level and residential space above.
Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents Image: Mahesh Kumar A./AP/picture alliance
What sparked the fire?
"The accident happened due to a short circuit and many people have died," federal minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader G Kishan Reddy told reporters at the site of the accident.
The director general of Telangana fire services, Y Nagi Reddy, told reporters that 21 people were in the three-story building when the fire started on the ground floor.
"17 people, who were shifted to the hospital in an unconscious state, could not survive. The staircase was very narrow, which made escape difficult. There was only one exit, and the fire had blocked it," he said.
Prime minister Narendra Modi announced financial compensation for the victims' families and said in a post on X that he was "deeply anguished by the loss of lives."
Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
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