Courage under fire: Among Hyderabad blaze dead, 2 workers who rushed in to save security guard’s children
Hyderabad Nampally Fire Accident: The fire at the furniture store broke out on Saturday afternoon. The bodies of the victims were only found a day later. The owner of the building has been arrested.
3 min readHyderabadUpdated: Jan 26, 2026 12:42 PM IST
The fire is believed to have broken out at 1 pm on Saturday, and firefighting efforts went on till the early hours of Sunday. The bodies were recovered by Sunday afternoon.
Hyderabad Furniture Shop Building Fire: The fire that gutted a four-storey building at Nampally in Hyderabad on Saturday claimed five lives: Two children of the building’s security guard, two workers who officials said were trying to save the children, and the building’s caretaker.
Following the tragedy, a case under BNS section 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) was registered against the owners of the building, which functioned as a furniture store. “The owner, Satish Bacha, was arrested on Sunday as there is a clear case of negligence,” ACP P Praveen Kumar told The Indian Express.
The fire is believed to have broken out at 1 pm on Saturday, and firefighting efforts went on till the early hours of Sunday. The bodies were recovered by Sunday afternoon.
The deceased were identified as Bebi (44), who worked as the caretaker of the building; Syed Habeeb (40) and Imtiaz (26), both workers; and Praneeth (11) and Akhil (7), who were brothers and the children of the building’s security guard, Yadaiah, and Lakshmi.
According to officials, the security guard’s family was living in the building’s basement. “The cellar, which was meant for parking alone, was filled with old furniture and scrap. This aggravated the fire and prevented fire-fighters from entering the burning building,” a top rescue official told The Indian Express.
The children, Praneeth and Akhil, had stayed back in the building with Bebi, the caretaker. Their parents, Yadaiah and Lakshmi, had gone out for some work when the fire broke out.
When the cellar caught fire, most of the 23 workers there ran for safety, except Syed Habeeb and Imtiaz, who went in search of the children, officials said.
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“The two men who showed courage did not return from the building,” the rescue official said.
After getting information about the fire, 16 fire engines were pressed into action. The first fire call was received at 5 pm, after which fire tenders were dispatched to the spot, fire safety officials said.
“The cause of fire is yet to be ascertained in forensic examination,” a senior police officer in charge of rescue operations said.
The National Disaster Response Force was called in, apart from the State Disaster Response Force. Along with hydraulic platforms, fire tenders also used robotic devices to assist in the rescue. “We sent in a robotic viewfinder to look for people inside, but we did not get any results,” the rescue officer said.
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Dispelling rumours about the building being an illegal construction, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner R V Karnan told The Indian Express that the building had approval from the civic body and had also obtained a fire no-objection certificate (NOC). However, as the fire raged on till late at night, Telangana fire chief Vikram Singh Mann told reporters that the building did violate some norms as the basement, which was meant for parking alone, was packed with old furniture. “The basement was meant for parking, but these cellars were packed with old furniture,” Mann said.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
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