Hyderabad: Investigation continues into Nampally fire, electrical short circuit suspected

Five people, including two children, died in a fire at a Nampally furniture showroom on January 24. Investigative teams from R&B, TGSPDCL, and the Forensic Department are assessing structural safety and electrical causes before a final decision on the building is made.

Hyderabad: Investigative teams from multiple government departments on Monday inspected the fire-ravaged furniture showroom in Nampally to assess its structural stability and also to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.

The furniture showroom was completely gutted in the fire mishap that broke out on Saturday, January 24. A total of five bodies, including two young children, two workers and that of an elderly woman, were recovered by Sunday, January 25, after a 22-hour rescue operation.

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On Monday, the building inspections were carried out by senior officials from Roads and Buildings (R&B) and TGSPDCL departments. Later, investigators from the Forensic department also inspected the building and collected samples.

Hyderabad District Fire Officer T Venkanna said, “The R&B officials team inspected the entire building with a focus on the building’s structural stability. Preliminary investigations indicate that the building was structurally safe. However, a clear picture will emerge only after the final report from R&B team is submitted,” he said.

Regarding fire safety, Venkanna said, “We noticed that some fire extinguishers were burnt in the fire inside the showroom. More details will come out during investigation.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police P Praveen Kumar said a TGSPDCL team also inspected the showroom and, in its preliminary investigation, indicated that the case of the fire accident was possibly due to an electrical short circuit.

The GHMC deputy commissioner, Khairatabad, Bolla Srinivasu, said different government agencies were investigating the fire accident and would submit their reports in a few days, after which a final decision would be taken on sealing the building.