• Source:JND
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Hyderabad Fire: Seventeen members of a family, including eight children, died in a massive fire that broke out at a residential building in Hyderabad’s Gulzar House, near the Charminar, early on Monday. The fire broke out in a house situated above a pearl shop, leaving only one member of the family alive. Among the victims was a woman found clutching her children tightly as flames engulfed the room.

The blaze began in the morning hours while the victims were asleep. Local residents, acting quickly as first responders, attempted to rescue those trapped inside. According to eyewitnesses, thick smoke made rescue operations extremely difficult.

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According to a NDTV report, Zahir, who owns a bangle shop on the ground floor of the building, was among those who entered the structure minutes after the fire began. He shared that the woman’s body was discovered hugging her children, who had all died in the room. “The smoke was so heavy, we could barely see. We pulled down a wall to reach inside and managed to bring out 13 people,” he said.

The fire department said that the victims included five women, four senior citizens and eight children—the youngest only one year old. The sole survivor, a family member, had stepped out for a walk before the fire started. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but initial reports suggest it may have started due to a short circuit.

Multiple fire engines were deployed to control the flames, and senior police officers reached the spot to assist in rescue efforts.

The deceased have been identified as Prahlad (70), Munni (70), Rajendar Modi (65), Sumitra (60), Abhishek (31), Sheetal (35), Varsha (35), Pankaj (36), Rajini (32), Hamey (7), Priyansh (4), Rishabh (4), Pratham (1.5), Arushi (3), Iraaj (2), Anuyan (3), and Iddu (4).

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and offered condolences to the families. The Prime Minister’s Office stated that an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh would be provided to the families of the deceased from the PM National Relief Fund, while those injured would receive Rs 50,000.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also expressed shock and directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured. He is monitoring the situation and coordinating with the police and fire departments. Local MLA Mir Zulfiqar Ali also visited the site and reviewed the situation with authorities.