11 killed in fire at timber depot in Secunderabad Bhoiguda

11 killed in fire at timber depot Secunderabad: In a tragic incident, at least 11 were killed after a massive fire broke out at a timber depot in Secunderabad’s Bhoiguda in the wee hours of Wednesday. One person escaped from the burning inferno.

The victims, all aged between 20 and 25 years, were migrant workers from Bihar working at the scrap godown and segregation unit. They were living in two rooms on the first floor of the godown.

According to Regional Fire Officer, V Papaiah, a call was received around 3.55 a.m and immediately fire tenders from the nearby fire station were directed to the spot. The fire personnel faced problems as there was only one entrance through a big shutter to enter the premises.

11 killed in fire at timber depot

“We suspect the victims were asleep when the fire started in the premises. All of them in order to escape hurled into a room on the first floor. All the 11 bodies which were charred beyond recognition were found in the room,” Papaiah said.

There was a spiral staircase that led to the first floor where the owners had also set up a small office. A lot of fiber cable wire was stored below the slab on the ground floor while the remaining portion was filled with empty liquor bottles, paper and plastic bottles.

“The workers cooked food in a room on the first floor and an LPG cylinder was also kept for the purpose. It helped the fire,” he pointed out.

The firemen tried to make their way into the premises by breaking open the shutter, however, the raging fire prevented them from getting inside the premises.

In all eight fire tenders were directed to the spot and it took almost three hours for the fire personnel to control the fire. The fire officials are yet to ascertain the reasons behind the mishap.

The injured person was moved to hospital for treatment while the bodies were shifted to the Gandhi Hospital mortuary. The police have booked a case.

Senior officials of the police and fire department were at the spot to supervise the fire fighting operation.

KCR announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao expressed his shock over the loss of lives in the depot in secunderabad and offered his condolences of the members of bereaved families.

The Chief Minister announces an ex gratia of rupees give lakh to the families of each of the deceased person. He instructed the Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to make arrangements to transport the bodies to their native places in Bihar.

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