Hyderabad, March 17 (IANS) Six people were killed in a huge fire that broke out in a multi-storey building in Secunderabad here on Thursday night, officials said.
The deceased include four women. Seven others were rescued by fire service personnel.
Hyderabad District Collector Amoy Kumar said the victims died of suffocation due to the smoke.
The deceased, all stated to be in their 20s, succumbed at Gandhi Hospital. They hailed from Warangal, Mahabubabad, and Khammam districts and were said to be employees of a company operating out of the building.
After battling for four hours, fire fighting personnel controlled the fire which started from the third floor of Swapnalok Complex and spread to the upper floors of the eight-storey building, which houses offices.
Officials said the rescue work was still on as the smoke has not yet cleared.
Ten fire tenders rushed to the scene and were engaged in the fire-fighting operation.
Huge flames leaping out of the building, causing panic among people in the area. Police vacated residents staying in adjoining buildings.
According to locals, the fire broke out between 7.30 and 8 p.m. The cause of the fire was not known.
State minister T. Srinivas Yadav rushed to the spot and was monitoring rescue and relief work.
This is the second major fire accident in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, in less than two months.
Three persons were killed in a huge fire at a multi-storey commercial complex on January 28. The building was completely gutted in the fire and it was later demolished by the authorities as the structure had become weak.
The bench noted that the victims have been denied a chance of effective hearing and the high court overlooked relevant considerations. It further added that the tearing hurry shown by the high court merits the setting aside of bail order and remanded the matter back to high court for fresh consideration. The bench said the high court order cannot be sustained and is thus set aside.
A local court on Monday remanded Abhishek Hiremath, the accused youth whose objectionable social media post allegedly triggered large-scale violence in Hubballi, to judicial custody till April 30. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the city till April 20 and as many as 100 persons detained in connection with the violence.
Punjab Police have solved the hand-grenade attack at Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) office in Nawanshahr by busting a major Pakistan-based terror module run by Harvinder Singh, alias Rinda, with the arrest of its three operatives, said Director General of Police V.K. Bhawra here on Monday.
There is no evidence for the theory that a bid to plant saffron flags at a mosque led to violence in Delhi's Jahangirpuri but was "a minor argument which later took the shape of massive violence", Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said on Monday.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and ensure the expeditious release of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana to fulfill the promise made to the Sikh community to release eight Sikh prisoners who have served more than the effective equivalent of a life sentence on the eve of the 550th Parkash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in 2019.
The organisation said that Maan should express regret over the recent meeting. Dhesi had met Mann along with newly-elected Rajya Sabha member and AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Sunday.
