“All 17 victims died of smoke inhalation,” confirmed a senior police officer. Though some suffered burns, the primary cause of death was asphyxiation.
The deceased include four elderly individuals — Prahlad (70), Munni (70), Rajender Modi (65), and Sumitra (60) — along with adults Sheetal (35), Varsha (35), Pankaj (36), Rajini (32), and Abhishek. The children who tragically lost their lives were identified as Hamey (7), Priyansh (4), Iraaj (2), Arushi (3), Rishabh (4), Pratham (1), Anuyan (3), and Iddu (4).
The fire was reported at 6:17 a.m., and within 15 minutes, emergency crews arrived. A total of 70 firefighters and 11 fire engines battled the flames for nearly two hours. Rescue efforts were hampered by the building’s narrow entry points and old construction.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sneha Mehra stated that only one accessible entrance initially existed. “Firefighters had to create another entry point. Most of the victims were found unconscious inside,” she noted. Many buildings in the area are old and closely built, with inadequate safety measures.
Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar confirmed that all the bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem. He assured that a full report on the incident will follow.
A major fire broke out in #Gulzar House near #Charminar #Hyderabad
17 people lost their life and many are critically injured.
Cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/vyhvut3Bzw
— Neetu Khandelwal (@T_Investor_) May 18, 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his grief via X (formerly Twitter), announcing ex-gratia payments of ₹2 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the PM National Relief Fund.
Leaders across party lines expressed their condolences:
K.T. Rama Rao, BRS working president, called the tragedy “extremely shocking” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy visited the site and stressed the importance of equipping emergency departments with better resources. He pledged to seek central aid for the affected families.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy instructed officials to provide the best medical care to the injured and full support to the families. He is closely monitoring rescue and relief efforts through Minister Prabhakar.
Congress MP M. Anil Kumar Yadav praised the rescue teams’ efforts under difficult conditions, confirming the fire has been fully extinguished.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi revealed that the family had lived in the area for generations and called for improvements in emergency response based on the fire department’s finding.
This incident has underscored serious lapses in fire safety infrastructure in historic and crowded market areas. Investigations are underway, and both state and central governments have pledged compensation and long-term support to the bereaved families.
