Hyderabad: Fire response time sparks concern after Tirumala Hills house blaze

A house fire in Puppalaguda’s Tirumala Hills has triggered concerns over fire services’ response time after social media posts alleged a 55-minute delay. Gachibowli Fire Station SHO N Srikanth said the tender reached the location within 20 minutes.

Hyderabad: A fire accident at a house on Tirumala Hills Road No. 11 near the Golden Temple in Puppalaguda in Manikonda on Thursday night has triggered concerns over the response time of fire services.

There were social media posts alleging that it took nearly 55 minutes for a fire tender to reach the spot.

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Citizens questioned why the fire engine was dispatched from the Gachibowli Fire Station when Film Nagar and Golconda fire stations were reportedly closer to the location.

They alleged that jurisdictional issues were cited for the delay and urged senior officials to ensure that the nearest available fire station responds to emergencies.

However, Gachibowli Fire Station SHO N Srikanth clarified that although Film Nagar was geographically closer, the emergency call was diverted to Gachibowli by the emergency response system.

He said the fire personnel immediately moved to the location and reached the spot within 20 minutes.

“Usually, it takes about half an hour to reach the location, but we reached the place within 20 minutes,” Srikanth said, adding that the fire tender had to cross two busy traffic junctions and navigate narrow roads with heavy traffic congestion.

The SHO maintained that the fire personnel made every effort to reach the spot in the minimum possible time.