Fire at Swapnalok Complex likely due to short circuit

Short circuit is suspected to have led to the fire at Swapnalok Complex, which claimed six lives on Thursday night

Hyderabad: A short circuit is suspected to have led to the fire at Swapnalok Complex, which claimed six lives on Thursday night.

The victims, who died of asphyxiation in the fire were identified as Pramila, Shravani, Prashanth, Triveni, Shiva and Vennela, all aged below 25 and natives of Warangal, Khammam and Mahabubabad districts, who came to the city on work purpose.

Incidentally, the complex had safety systems in place, but none of them were in working condition.

Fire Department Director General Y Nagi Reddy said the complex was recently inspected and the management was asked to maintain safety equipment. The management responding and acting in time could have averted the mishap.

A preliminary probe by the Fire Department indicated a short circuit at the switch panel board on the ground floor led to the fire which along with smoke spread to the top floors.

The Mahankali police booked a case for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other sections against the complex establishment association and others and took up an investigation.

The search operation carried out jointly by the Fire Department and the police, which came to halt on Thursday night due to the darkness and smoke still engulfing the complex, resumed again on Friday.

Teams ventured into the complex and checked each floor to ascertain that no one remained trapped in the fire. Doctors at the Gandhi Hospital, who conducted the autopsy opined the victims died of suffocation and asphyxiation. Few of them had burn injuries on their bodies.

Meanwhile, the complex was closed to shop owners. Even after repeated requests from the owners of the shops on the ground, first and second floors, they were not allowed inside. The complex was taken into control by the police personnel.