In a devastating fire accident that occurred in the early hours of 18 May near Charminar, Hyderabad, 17 people — including four women and two children — lost their lives, and at least 10 others were injured. The blaze broke out around 6:00 am at the Srikrishna Pearls building located in the congested Gulzar House area, a commercial hub known for its pearl trade.
The ground-plus-one structure housed the well-known Modi Pearls shop on the ground floor, while the first floor served as a residence for the shop owner’s family and some workers. Thick smoke from the blaze caused many to lose consciousness, hampering evacuation efforts.
A devastating fire broke out in Gulzar House, under the jurisdiction of Mir Chowk Police Station in Hyderabad. The flames quickly engulfed the area, prompting a swift response from fire and rescue teams, who managed to save several people trapped inside.
Sadly, three individuals… pic.twitter.com/pi6POh8vNA
— Vishnu Vardhan Reddy (@SVishnuReddy) May 18, 2025
Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence has released the list of the deceased.
The deceased have been identified as Prahlad (70), Munni (70), Rajendar Modi (65), Sumitra (60), Hamey (7), Abhishek (31), Sheetal (35), Priyansh (4), Iraaj (2), Arushi (3), Rishabh (4), Pratham (1.5), Anuyan (3), Varsha (35), Pankaj (36), Rajini (32), and Iddu (4).
Those injured have been admitted to various hospitals across the city, including Osmania General Hospital, Yashoda Malakpet, Apollo DRDO, and Apollo Hyderguda.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has expressed deep grief over the loss of lives due to the fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana. He announced an ex gratia payment from the PMNRF of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
The Prime Minister’s Office posted on X:
“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.”
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
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep shock over the mishap and instructed top officials to take all necessary measures to rescue the families trapped in the fire accident. He issued orders to shift the injured to nearby hospitals and to provide better medical treatment.
హైదరాబాద్ ఓల్డ్ సిటీ మీర్ చౌక్ లోని గుల్జార్ హౌస్ వద్ద జరిగిన అగ్నిప్రమాదంపై ముఖ్యమంత్రి ఎ. రేవంత్ రెడ్డి గారు దిగ్భ్రాంతి వ్యక్తం చేశారు. ఘటనపై మంత్రి పొన్నం ప్రభాకర్ గారితో మాట్లాడి వివరాలు తెలుసుకున్నారు. మంటల్లో చిక్కుకున్న కుటుంబాలను కాపాడేందుకు అవసరమైన అన్ని చర్యలు…
— Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) May 18, 2025
Telangana Disaster Response and Fire Services DG, Y. Nagi Reddy, said:
“There was a fire incident in Krishna Pearls shop and the residential complex in the Gulzar House area. The Fire Department received the call at 6:16 am and dispatched 11 fire engines with sufficient staff by 6:17 am… The department used breathing apparatus and oxygen masks to rescue the people… The information is that 17 people could not survive… Preliminary examination shows the cause was a short circuit…”
“There was no deficiency in the Fire Department’s response to fighting the fire and rescuing people… The building had only one entryway of two metres, like a tunnel. There is only one staircase of one metre to access the first and second floors. This made escape and rescue operations very difficult. By 9 am, the fire was under control… A total of 21 people were inside the building… The cause of death is smoke inhalation; nobody had burn injuries,” the fire official said.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the victims who lost their lives in the fire incident at Gulzar House..
Speaking to reporters, Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said:
“As per the preliminary information available, the fire may have been caused by a short circuit. The Fire Department received the information at 6:16 am and reached the spot at 6:20 am with staff, equipment, and robots. A DFO is also seriously injured and has been admitted to hospital… The Chief Minister is constantly monitoring the situation.”
G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister and Telangana BJP President, inspected the fire accident site at Gulzar House near Charminar, Hyderabad, today. He discussed the rescue and relief operations with senior officials handling the situation and urged them to provide immediate medical support and assistance.
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