Tragedy Strikes Charminar: 17 of a Family Dead in Hyderabad Fire
In a harrowing tragedy in Hyderabad’s historic Charminar area early Sunday morning, 17 members of a single family, including 8 children, perished in a devastating fire that broke out in the building above the Krishna Pearls shop around 6 a.m.. The victims ranged in age from 2 to 73 years, and according to officials, all succumbed to a combination of asphyxiation and burn injuries.
Local Hero’s Attempt to Save Lives
Zahid, a local bangle shop owner from nearby Gulzar House, and his friends were alerted to the blaze by a woman while walking through the narrow lanes. Rushing to help, they found the main entrance blocked by flames. Despite breaking through a shutter and even part of a wall, they were met with an unbearable scene—a mother’s lifeless body clutching her charred children. Zahid described the tragedy to PTI:
“We found seven people in one room and six others in another. We were not able to save them due to the fire. Had we saved them, it would have been good.”
Structural Flaws Proved Fatal
Authorities confirmed that a short circuit sparked the fire on the ground floor, which rapidly consumed the upper levels where the family lived. A number of critical design flaws turned the building into a death trap:
-
The tunnel-like entrance was only 2 meters wide.
-
The staircase connecting floors measured just 1 meter, offering no safe passage.
-
The structure lacked windows or external exits for escape or rescue.
-
Firefighters were unable to deploy hydraulic platforms effectively due to the building’s orientation.
Y. Nagi Reddy, Director General of Telangana’s Disaster Response and Fire Services, explained that once the fire reached the staircase, there was no viable exit left for the residents.
A Family Erased
This family had reportedly lived in the building for over 100 years. According to Hyderabad MP and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, only two members of the entire family have survived. He called the tragedy “very painful” and offered condolences at the scene.
Broader Questions Raised
The incident has triggered serious concerns about:
-
Fire safety compliance in heritage and commercial structures in old Hyderabad.
-
The absence of fire exits in congested zones.
-
Lack of fire preparedness in dense commercial-cum-residential buildings.
Next Steps
Authorities are expected to conduct a thorough fire audit of similar buildings in the vicinity. Activists and citizens are also demanding that older structures be retrofitted with proper fire exits and strict penalties imposed on owners who violate safety norms.
The heartbreaking loss of 17 lives in a tightly packed heritage quarter of Hyderabad has left the city in mourning—and brought renewed urgency to the need for urban safety reform.
