‘Found bodies of children in charred cupboard’: Witnesses recall harrowing scenes from Gulzar Houz fire tragedy

Passersby, local residents break window panes to rescue those trapped in building

Hyderabad: People who went into the ill-fated Gulzar Houz building with the hope of rescuing those trapped inside have narrated the harrowing scenes they witnessed.

In their bid to save themselves, the families had huddled into groups. “We found bodies of children in a charred cupboard. Apparently, their parents, to save them, had forced them into the cupboard,” said Mohd Ibrahim, a local resident.

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His friends, Aamir and Shahid, first entered the building facing the main road after breaking the window panes. On noticing the fire in the building behind, they moved into the building. “There were signs of struggle till the last minute. The victims did their best to save themselves, but unfortunately lost their lives,” recalled Aamir.

A bangle seller, Zahed, was the first person to rush to the ill-fated building after noticing the smoke. “I was going along with my friends when a woman informed us about the fire and sought help from us. As there was no way of entering the building, we broke the shutter and reached the second floor. We noticed a woman had embraced her two children and they were motionless. We managed to bring them out and shift them to hospital,” he said.

He further recalled that the building was filled with smoke and it was difficult for the people to get inside. “The fire department personnel did not have breathing apparatus sets. Later, some firemen who arrived brought it along with them and entered into the building,” said Zahed.