6 die of asphyxiation in massive fire at Secunderabad; 4 hospitalised

DCP (North) Chandana Deepti said the building maintenance committee has been booked for failing to ensure the safety of the building and that no one is being allowed inside the B-Block until the structural safety of the building is examined. A case is registered under section 304 (part II) (Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) and relevant IPC sections at Mahankali police station and an investigation is on.

The DCP said that four others, including a police constable, are undergoing treatment at a hospital. The police constable is under treatment for Corneal Edema and the others are stable, she said.

The Fire and Rescue Department personnel saved at least 12 people.

The fire accident at the Swapnalok Complex in Secunderabad is a grim reminder of the need for better safety measures in public buildings. My deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives and my wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured. pic.twitter.com/WfK6GmgBS6

— Mohammad Ali Shabbir (@mohdalishabbir) March 17, 2023

The fire is said to have erupted on the fifth floor of the B block. The 30-year-old complex has 10 floors and houses several offices employing hundreds of people. As soon as thick smoke engulfed the space, eight employees of a firm dealing with computer hardware were trapped on the fifth floor.

This place swapnalok complex in secunderabad ..we have our retail stores here is gutted by massive fire .🤲🏻 #secunderabad pic.twitter.com/vwV28c7iIM

— syed imran (@syedimran999) March 16, 2023

A fire department official told The Indian Express that the fire was limited to one portion of the building that ran an office on the fifth floor. Due to highly combustible material, including office files and furniture, thick smoke engulfed the fifth floor which also had an office area where eight employees were trapped.

Deeply anguished by the loss of lives of 6 people in the fire accident at Swapnalok Complex in Secunderabad.

My condolences to the bereaved families & prayers for the early recovery of those injured.

— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) March 17, 2023

“Some of them fell inside the office while others were found unconscious near the stairway that had been blocked with waste material. The only way to reach the floor was through the elevator. Also, one of the doors to the office was kept locked leaving only one door for entry and exit into the office. The escape routes were blocked and 5 to 10 minutes of smoke is enough for one to fall unconscious,” an officer said.

Eleven fire tenders and 35 firefighters were pressed into service to douse the fire.

Around 10 pm the firefighters managed to reach the fifth floor using hydraulic cranes to rescue the people trapped there. “It was a difficult task to reach the fifth floor of the complex. The trapped people were traced using their cell phone signals. These victims managed to come out of their office but were unable to come down due to the blocked staircase,” he said.

Hundreds of people work in the Swapnalok Complex that houses small and big business establishments, and commercial offices. Officials said that as most of the employees leave by 6 pm, the number of casualties was low.

The fire at Swapnalok Complex is the fourth major fire accident in Secunderabad in recent times. The cause of the fire is believed to be a short circuit and is being examined. A case is being registered at Mahankali police station as well as by the Fire Services department against the building management for violation of fire safety management.

Three workers were killed after a massive fire broke out in a multi-storied commercial building on Minister’s Road in January 2023. Eight people lost their lives after a fire broke out in the basement of an electric scooter showroom that housed a hotel on its top floors in Secunderabad in September 2022. Eleven migrant workers from Bihar were killed in a fire at a godown in a residential area in Bhoiguda in March 2022.