Hyderabad: 9 killed in building fire; Telangana CM announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia

At least nine people on Monday have died and three others got injured due to a massive fire that broke out at a residential building in Hyderabad. The fire has been controlled and rescue and cooling operations are underway at present. Around 21 people have been rescued, with 10 of them being taken from the building in an unconscious state so far. 

The fire brigade was alerted around 9:30 am and fire tenders were rushed to the spot thereafter. The blaze took place on the ground floor, where chemicals were stored, and then spread onto other floors. 

The fire broke out due to a spark during car repair, according to an India Today report. The chemicals caught fire and was not extinguished with water, as per an eyewitness. 

Nagi Reddy, Director General of Fire Services, said that the chemicals might have been stored illegally. "The storage of chemicals in the building might have been done illegally... Chemicals were stored in the stilt area of the building and the fire was caused due to these chemicals," he told news agency ANI. 

Meanwhile, Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao visited the accident site in Hyderabad to take stock of the ongoing rescue and cooling operations. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.

The injured people have been shifted to Osmania General Hospital, according to Rao. "CM KC Rao has announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased in the fire incident. The injured persons in the incident have been shifted to Osmania General Hospital," he said. 

KCR expressed grief over the incident and instructed officials to take strong relief measures and provide medical care to those injured. "Chief Minister Shri K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed deep shock over the fire incident at Nampally Bazaar Ghat. Condolences were expressed to the families of the deceased. CM Shri KCR has ordered the officials to immediately take strong relief measures. The authorities have been advised to provide better medical care to the seriously injured and to be vigilant and take appropriate measures,"  the BRS party quoted CM KCR. 

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