The Telangana Human Rights Commission (THRC) has responded to the fire incident near Gulzar House, Old Town, Hyderabad. Taking suo motu cognizance of the incident, THRC Chairman Justice Shamim Akhtar has ordered the Telangana government to investigate the case.
It has responded after leading newspapers and media articles on building safety and electricity management were published. THRC has issued orders to the Chief Secretary to the government, the Director General of Fire Services, TGSPDCL Chief Engineers and Hyderabad Police Commissioner to submit a report by June 30 on the death of 17 people (8 children, five women and four men) in the fire accident.
It is known that 17 people died in a major fire incident at Gulzar House in the Charminar area on Sunday. Eight children were among the dead. A fire broke out on the first floor of the building due to a short circuit on Sunday morning. Some of those trapped in the fire were rescued by fire personnel and shifted to Osmania, Yashoda (Malakpet) and DRDO Apollo hospitals for treatment.
Meanwhile, Hydra Commissioner Ranganath said that the fire accident near Gulzar House is like a lesson. He said such a big accident happened due to non-compliance with fire safety regulations in old buildings and lack of regular inspections.
Ranganath said that it is not possible to make changes to the structure of such buildings at present and advised the owners to take precautionary measures with due awareness. He explained that the government is soon preparing a special action plan regarding fire prevention.
Ranganath said that most of the fires are caused by short circuits. Therefore, he said that the owners need to take appropriate precautions. He said that there is a need to study all fire accidents and analyze the causes of such incidents. He said that structural changes may not be possible in old buildings so quickly, but emergency exits should be ensured. He said that as the number of EV vehicles is increasing, it is necessary to take precautions when charging them.
