Charging of e-bikes may have sparked Telangana showroom fire that killed 8
At least eight people were killed after massive fire broke out in an electric vehicle showroom in Secunderabad on Monday night. At least 25 people were trapped in the building at the time of the incident, some of whom jumped from their windows, while some were rescued by fire fighters.
Here are the top developments of the story:
-The fire that broke out in the e-bike showroom at around 10 pm engulfed the entire building in no time and spread to the hotel located above the showroom. Most of the dead were occupants of the hotel, which was engulfed by smoke.
-The incident is the latest in a spate of electric scooter fires this year across the country.
-The fire emanated from an electric two-wheeler showroom in the building’s cellar and ground floor and flames leapt from first to other floors of the commercial building. Some people tried to jump out of the hotel windows in a bid to escape the fire.
Photo: PTI
-Around 35-40 electric vehicles of the GEMOPAI brand were parked in the cellar of the building with charging units. Police suspect that e-bikes that were parked on the ground floor were kept on charging, and suddenly blew up, triggering the blaze.
-Police and firefighters used cranes and other equipment to pluck stranded hotel guests from upper floors of the four-story building as smoke billowed out of its windows, media images showed.
-Firefighters rushed to the spot and rescued seven guests who were trapped in the multi-storeyed building. They were shifted to hospitals.
-No Fire NOC was taken from the authorities and fire safety equipment were not functioning in the premises.
-According to police, the 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 appeared that there were 23 rooms on all the four floors in the hotel. According to Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand, 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.
-A case has been registered against the owner of the building where the fire broke out. He is absconding after the incident.
-Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Minister K T Rama Rao condoled the loss of lives and announced ex-gratia on behalf of the Centre and the state government, respectively.
