Hyderabad: Panic gripped Ameerpet on Friday morning after a fire broke out in a commercial building that houses an IT coaching centre on the second and third floors. About 70 to 80 students and staff were trapped inside for close to an hour as thick smoke engulfed the five-storey structure.
Firefighters pressed into service had to use ladders to rescue them. No casualties or injuries were reported.
According to witnesses and fire officials, the fire started on the ground floor of the Neelagiri Complex in Aditya Enclave, in Maitrivanam, between 10.50 am and 11 am. Prima facie, they suspect it originated from an electrical shaft near the staircase and spread to other parts of the building.
"More than the fire, it was smoke that filled the floors above, due to a complex web of electrical cables and flammable materials. Within minutes, it engulfed the building. Preliminary damage is estimated at about Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh," said P Ramesh, station fire officer (SFO), Panjagutta.
Recalling those moments of fear, B Prashanth, an IT course student, said that about 20 of them suddenly smelt burning plastic from billboards. "Soon, smoke started filling the rooms. Since the windows are blocked with billboards, there was no ventilation. Some of us panicked and moved towards the only exit. But our teachers kept asking us to stay calm," he said, sharing how they heaved a sigh of relief only when fire personnel brought them down a ladder from the balcony.
A local mobile shop owner stranded on the third floor also said how it was impossible to climb down the stairs because of the smoke. "For a moment, I honestly thought I'd be stuck for much longer," he said, adding that fire engines arrived at the spot around 11:15 am.
Eyewitnesses described complete chaos outside the building, with torn hoardings and partially burnt banners dangling precariously. To prevent the fire from spreading further, officials asked the building staff to cut the power supply.
The building, about 35 years old, houses over 200 small and medium-sized establishments, including software teaching and skill development institutes, mobile repair shops, laptop servicing units, and printing and designing centres. Police asked nearby shops to remain closed for the rest of the day.
Building lacks mandatory NOC certificates
While Friday's fire was brought under control in less than an hour, T. Venkanna, District Fire Officer (DFO)-1, Hyderabad, said that the area is a sitting duck for such incidents, as most buildings — including the Neelagiri Complex — lack mandatory NOC certificates. There are narrow staircases and loose electrical wiring. "Worse, they either do not have extinguishers or their firefighting equipment is dysfunctional. They are not even designed for heavy commercial use," he said. "We will inspect the complex on Saturday and file a report. Any illegal expansions or constructions will face action and penalties," he added.
Officials claimed that despite repeated awareness drives and drills, shop and building owners — old and new — fail to maintain basic safety measures and equipment.
Swarming with coaching centres, locals admitted that the buildings — despite very high footfall — lack maintenance. "There are rodents that cut the cables. Hundreds of plastic banners are hanging everywhere, which increases the risk of fires. During incidents, fire tenders struggle to reach the narrow interiors," said a local shopkeeper, Riyaz Samdani.
Students too voiced similar concerns. "Our classroom is built to fit only four or five students. But at least 10 sit there at any time. With no ventilators and faulty wiring, short circuits are sure to happen," said N. Jyothi Prakash, a regular at one of the centres.
Second incident in two months
Incidentally, Friday's fire was the second such incident recorded in Maitrivanam in the last two months. In early December, a fire broke out in three computer repair shops in the Annapurna Complex — located close by — though no injuries were reported there as well.
"HYDRAA DRF teams inspect buildings below 50 m regularly. For structures above 50 m, we conduct awareness programmes and mock drills—they must coordinate with us," said A Sreedas, DFO-2, Hyderabad.
"These consecutive incidents should be an eye-opener. We inspected some shops last month along with officials from the fire, GHMC, electricity, and police departments and seized them. Some buildings were given a month to implement fire safety measures. Everybody must take this seriously now," said A V Ranganath, commissioner, HYDRAA.
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