An intense fire broke out, on the 30th of January, at the Nampally Exhibition (Numaish,) Hyderabad.
No casualties are yet reported, however, at least 7 people were admitted to Osmania General Hospital and the Care Hospital after they complained of respiratory issues and suffocation.
Ten fire tenders rushed to the spot around 8:40 P.M., after the officers at the Fire Control Room got a call about the fire. The fire tenders managed to extinguish the fire around 10:00 P.M.
A policeman, who was present at the spot, said, “Despite pressing into service several firetenders, the blaze could not be controlled. With each passing second, more stalls were catching fire.”
Ranga Reddy, the Exhibition Society Secretary, said, “Local shopkeepers alerted each other and in the meantime, police, the fire services, the GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) and Water Board swung into action.” He further added, “There was no loss of life. More than 150 firemen struggled to control the fire. Nearly 30,000 visitors were inside the exhibition when fire broke out.”
According to sources, the fire broke out at one of the stalls at the exhibition, which spread to approximately 200 stalls. A few authorities also claimed, a short circuit at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) triggered the fire, which then spread to the nearby shops. However, the exact reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Anjani Kumar, the Hyderabad Police Commissioner, said, “Seven fire tenders reached the exhibition grounds within a few minutes. No loss of life was reported. Most of the visitors to the exhibition were already evacuated.”
N.V.S. Reddy, the Managing Director of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL,) announced, free Metro services for the exhibition visitors from Nampally to various locations in Hyderabad till 11:30 P.M., on the 30th of January.
This is a developing story, stay tuned for further updates.
