At least eight lives were lost after a massive fire broke out in an electric-vehicle showroom in the city of Secunderabad in the southern state of Telangana on Monday (12) night. It is suspected that some of the vehicles that were charging blew up, causing the fire.
The fire spread fast in the e-bike showroom around 10 pm local time and engulfed the entire building, reaching the hotel located above. Most of those who died in the tragedy were occupants of the hotel which was filled with smoke.
According to reports, at least 25 people got trapped in the building after the fire started and some of them jumped from their windows. Some were rescued by the fire department officials.
Firefighters reached the spot soon after the fire broke out and rescued seven people who were trapped in the multi-storey building. They were sent to hospitals.
It was reported that the fire started from the electric two-wheeler showroom located in the building's cellar and ground floor and flames spread from one floor to another in no time. Around 30-40 electric vehicles were in the cellar with charging units. Police suspect that the e-bikes that charging suddenly exploded, causing the fire. Several new vehicles were gutted in the incident.
Police and firefighting officials used cranes and other equipment to rescue people who got stranded in the upper floors of the building. Media images showed smoke billowing out of the windows of the building.
"Exact reasons for fire, whether it is due to short circuit or charging of batteries in the cellar or in the first floor where the scooter showroom is located, will be known after the fire department's investigation," police said.
"It appears there are 23 rooms on all the four floors in the hotel. The smoke traversed through the staircase from the bottom up to the top floor and completely engulfed all floors. Some people who were sleeping in the first and second floors came to the corridor through the thick smoke and died due to asphyxiation," Hyderabad police commissioner C V Anand, who visited the spot, told reporters.
A case has been registered against the owner of the building where the fire broke out. He was found to be absconding. It was reported that no fire no-objection certificate was taken from the authorities and fire-safety equipment were not working in the building premises.
The incident in Secunderabad is the latest in a spate of electric scooter fires across India this year.
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