The Telangana government Tuesday formed a six-member committee of senior officials to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the fire accident at Gulzar House near Charminar that killed 17 members of a family, including eight children, Sunday morning. The high-powered committee includes senior officials from civic, police, fire, and power departments. The state leadership will take further action based on the committee’s report.
According to minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who is in charge of the committee, the panel includes Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner R V Karnan, Hyderabad District Collector Anudeep Durashetti, Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand, Director General of Fire Services Nagi Reddy, Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Commissioner A V Ranganath, and Telangana Southern State Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TSSPDCL) chairman and managing director Musharraf Ali Farooqui.
The minister said a comprehensive inquiry will be conducted at the field level into the cause of the incident, and a report will be given to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on the steps taken by various departments.
He stated that suggestions should be provided to the field individuals to prevent future fire accidents. Local conditions need to be evaluated, and appropriate proposals should be made to avoid similar incidents. After the committee submits its report, the chief minister, his deputy, and senior officials will review the findings and take necessary action.
On Sunday, a suspected short circuit caused the massive fire in a residential complex near Charminar.
Officials said several of the victims died of asphyxiation rather than burn injuries. Following a visit to the aggrieved family, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K T Rama Rao alleged a lack of oxygen in ambulances and water in fire brigade vehicles.
The Congress government, however, refuted these claims and clarified that all eight ambulances had oxygen cylinders while all 12 fire vehicles had water, which is filled as a routine activity. The nearby residents had also alleged that the fire brigade did not reach the site for more than an hour after the fire broke out. The officials have also refuted this claim.
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