Five killed after massive fire at furniture shop building in Hyderabad

"Five bodies, including that of a woman, were retrieved from the building on Sunday," a senior police official told PTI.

Multiple agencies presseed into rescue operation 

Multiple agencies, including the police, fire services, NDRF, and the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), were involved in the rescue efforts. While the fire has been brought under control, thick smoke continuing to billow from the building has hampered operations.

Officials said large quantities of furniture and related materials stored in the two basements contributed to the heavy smoke. The ramp leading to the basements was also blocked by stored items, making access difficult for rescue teams.

The basements were meant only for parking, and regulations do not permit human habitation or storage of materials there, Director General (Fire and Disaster Response) Vikram Singh Mann told the media.

Some of the family members of those trapped were worried about the safety of their kin and wanted the authorities to rescue them as soon as possible. We don't know the condition of the children. We have been waiting since yesterday to see our children, but there is no information," a family member told a TV channel on Sunday.

Traffic movement severely affected

In a post on X, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC  Sajjanar advised citizens to postpone their visit to the popular annual exhibition at Exhibition Grounds in Nampally as traffic movement in the area was severely affected following the fire accident.

"Police, along with Disaster Response teams, are engaged in rescue operations following a fire accident at a furniture shop in Nampally. Traffic movement in the area has been severely disrupted. Visitors have been advised to postpone their visit to the exhibition today to avoid inconvenience," he said in the post.

Expressing concern over the incident, State Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy directed officials to make all efforts to rescue those trapped and asked Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management) Arvind Kumar to visit the site and submit a report.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said he was in touch with officials on the ground and had instructed his party MLC Rahmath Baig to assist in the rescue operations.