Hyderabad: The city recorded approximately 2,500 fire accidents this year while Telangana saw a total of 7,600 accidents resulting in over 200 fatalities and property losses worth Rs 822 crore, an official of the fire department told Siasat.com.
These incidents range from small apartment fires to commercial buildings, and factories among other things.
Major fire incidents in Hyderabad: A 2024 overview
January
On January 2, a fire broke out at the Girlfriend Mandi restaurant in Madhapur. The cause behind the fire is believed to be an electrical short circuit. On January 3, a fire accident occurred at a shopping mall in Uppal, resulting in property damage worth lakhs of rupees.
On January 19, a fire broke out at the Lifestyle Stores in Begumpet. About 500 workers managed to evacuate the building safely and the fire was swiftly brought under control by the local fire personnel, who responded to the alert from nearby residents.
On January 20, three parked cars were destroyed after catching fire in front of Sarita Apartments at Road No 4, Banjara Hills. The fire which originated from one vehicle around 3 pm quickly spread to the others but fortunately, no one was injured.
On January 22, a fire broke out in the backyard of the Madhapur police station after a firework landed on combustible material stored there. It was reported that the fire damaged several LPG cylinders and seized materials but no loss of life was reported.
February
On February 17, a fire broke out at a CCTV camera godown in Gujarathi Galli, Koti in Hyderabad. The incident caused damage worth Rs 20 to 25 lakh. However, no fatalities were reported.
March
On March 15, a huge fire broke out in a godown in Yousuf Tekri, Towlichowki, as oil stocked inside the warehouse caught fire, leading to heavy damage to property. However, no casualties were reported.
On March 28, a major fire broke out in the biscuit factory at Kattedan. The fire did cause massive damage to the premises but no casualties or injuries were reported.
April
On April 1, a huge fire broke out at the Unani Hospital premises near Charminar due to a short circuit.
On April 2, panic gripped residents living near the Miyapur metro rail depot after a fire erupted in an open area. Officials attributed the blaze to a large dump of cable wires and discarded materials.
On April 7, a huge fire engulfed Ratnadeep Select supermarket in Bandlaguda, Rajendranagar. It is suspected that the fire broke out due to welding works during the renovation. The loss in property was estimated at around Rs 1 crore.
On April 10, several push carts near the Charminar bus station caught fire. The traders were left distressed as their goods, from clothes to crockery, were reduced to ashes. Fire officials confirmed that the fire was caused due to a short circuit.
On April 23, a fire accident occurred at Sri Nani Cars Consultant in Yousufguda. The shop suffered heavy losses and about 20 cars were burnt to ashes. The loss is estimated to be in the range of Rs 1 crore.
May
A couple was injured on May 3 in a fire incident at a hotel in Chaitanyapuri. The incident took place at Sri Venkateshwara OYO hotel.
On May 12, at least ten people including a policeman, were injured when a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle caught fire and exploded on Bibi Bazaar Road in Moghalpura. The rider jumped off and escaped while several locals tried to extinguish the flames by pouring water. Despite their efforts, the explosion injured several people at the scene.
June
On June 17, a major tragedy was averted at King George Hospital in Hyderabad when a minor fire occurred in the IRC ward. The fire was controlled quickly, so the damage and casualties were limited.
On June 25, firefighters prevented a major tragedy by dousing a fire on the fourth floor of a building opposite the Journalists Colony bus stop in Jubilee Hills. A software company functioned its office on that floor. However, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
July
A car, in the old city of Hyderabad caught fire on July 9 on Chaderghat Road. The owner travelling from Begumpet to Saidabad felt smoke coming out from his engine followed by flames. However, Kumar exited his car on time and suffered no injuries.
On July 10, a major fire broke out inside the Sri Dattasai Complex at RTC crossroads. However, no casualties were reported.
On July 19, a fire broke out on the second floor of a building on Madina Building Road in the Old City of Hyderabad. The flames spread to the upper floors, where there was reportedly a stock of shirts and trousers.
On July 23, one person was killed and several injured in a fire at a furniture manufacturing unit in Jiyaguda. It started at around 1 am on the ground floor of a four-storey building where 25 people were present.
August
The historic and grand-looking Paradise Hotel in Secunderabad caught fire on August 23. Terrified customers and staff quickly scrambled outdoors as flames and thick smoke surrounded the premises.
A furniture workshop in Seetaram Bagh was engulfed by a fire on August 28. The whole materials were gutted by the flames that came out. No casualties were reported.
September
A fire occurred at a chocolate factory in Kompally on September 13. No injuries or casualties have been reported.
On September 19, a fire erupted near Hyderabad’s Charminar during the Milad Un Nabi rally. The fire originated when a DJ’s generator caught fire due to sparks from fireworks set off by people in the procession.
October
On October 27, a very hazardous incident occurred at a petrol pump in Nacharam where a man dangerously lit up a lighter, while the fuel was being dispensed. Arun, a petrol pump attendant had seen the lighter and provocatively asked Chiran if he was going to light it. When Chiran lit the lighter, it created an instant fireball.
A tragic fire killed a couple on October 29 after flames engulfed their residence. The incident took place when they were cooking in the kitchen on the first floor of their building. The fire spread quickly, igniting stored firecrackers which intensified the blaze.
November
On November 10, an explosion took place at the Telangana Spice Kitchen restaurant in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, specifically on Road Number 1.
Within hours on the same day, a big blaze caught a lorry carrying a container, carrying eight cars, on the Hyderabad-Mumbai Highway. Fortunately, no lives were lost.
A massive fire broke out on the afternoon of November 11 at a scrap yard in Aramghar, Shivarampally. A layer of thick smoke filled the space, however, the occupants escaped in time.
A fire erupted on November 27 at a house in Ramanthapur after the explosion of the battery of an electric vehicle. Seven other two-wheelers in the building were also damaged due to the fire.
On November 16, a fire occurred at residential apartments in Manikonda reportedly triggered by an electric short circuit. The situation escalated dramatically when an LPG cylinder exploded causing the flames to spread rapidly throughout the premises.
A fire on November 20 at a textile shop in Attapur caused lakhs of rupees worth of property damage. Initial investigations hinted that a short circuit could be the reason for the fire.
On November 30, a fire broke out at a Prism Club and Kitchen in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli. No casualties were reported in the incident.
December
A blaze engulfed a few bikes around the Malakpet metro station in Hyderabad on December 6. The fire is believed to have started from one of the vehicles and quickly spread to other bikes parked nearby, damaging the other vehicles as well.
On December 11, a fuel tanker caught fire at an HP petrol bunk near the Ek Minar Masjid at Nampally. No casualties were reported.
On December 13, panic gripped Bahadurpura when a fire broke out following an explosion in an electric transformer. The fire quickly spread to nearby garbage, however, no casualties were reported.
On December 17, property was damaged when a fire broke out at a puncture repair shop in Amberpet causing major damage.
On December 19, a major fire erupted at Super Furniture Works close to Madannapet’s Old Eidgah. The fire quickly spread across the workshop resulting in property damage.
On December 20, a fire incident was reported at a Flipkart warehouse in Rajendranagar. The warehouse caught fire and items stored were all burnt.
On the same day, five persons were injured after a blast at a construction site in Hyderabad’s Kokapet. The explosion occurred after areal estate firm detonated explosives at the construction site near Neopolis. Debris from the explosion struck people and nearby vehicles.
On December 21, a major fire broke out on the fourth and fifth floors of the Sattva Elixir building in Hyderabad’s Madhapur. The fire which reportedly originated on the 5th floor of the building however caused no casualties but major damage to the premises.
How to prevent fire accidents?
Speaking to Siasat.com, fire department officials attributed the cause of the fires across Hyderabad to neglect, faulty wiring, overuse of electrical appliances, and carelessness in storing flammable substances. “We try to respond as quickly as possible, but many people are unaware of what to do during a fire, often getting stuck in lifts. Some buildings fail to follow safety protocols, such as having emergency exit doors or a lack of fire extinguishers,” they added.
While emphasising how such accidents can be prevented, the official said that, “Individuals should replace gas cylinders, maintain stoves in good condition, and ensure proper wiring. Commercial buildings must be equipped with fire detection systems, electrical control panels, pressureless aerosol units, sprinklers covering the entire structure, and automated fire doors.”
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