At least 7 charred to death, 10 injured in Secunderabad showroom, hotel fire

Preliminary investigation suggested a short circuit caused the fire in the showroom and resulted in explosions of one vehicle after another

At least seven people were charred to death and another 10 were injured when a fire broke out in an electric bike showroom and later spread to a hotel located above in Telangana’s Secunderabad late on Monday night.

Guests staying at a hotel were also trapped. (PTI)

“In all seven persons were killed. Some of them are charred to death in the hotel rooms and others succumbed to burns while trying to escape,” police commissioner C V Anand said.

Preliminary investigation suggested a short circuit caused the fire in the showroom and resulted in explosions of one vehicle after another. Police said at least 25 people were staying at the hotel.

“Due to thick smoke billowing from the showroom, many of those lodged in the hotel suffocated and fell unconscious. At least five of them were charred in an unconscious state and some others who caught fire jumped out of the hotel rooms,” said a second police officer.

The injured were rushed to the Gandhi Hospital, where two of them succumbed. The condition of at least four others was said to be serious.

Fire brigade officer Mohan Rao said they saved 10 people from the hotel while others jumped out.

State minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Anand, director general (fire department) Sanjay Kumar Jain, and other top officials rushed to the spot to supervise the rescue operations.

Yadav said the injured were being provided the best treatment and that an inquiry has been ordered.