Fire at Secunderabad electric scooter showroom kills 8. What happened?

Eight people died in Telangana's Secunderabad due to asphyxiation after an electric two-wheeler showroom on the ground floor of a building caught fire on Monday night, police said.  

What Happened: Police said that the fire started during the charging process of an electric two-wheeler.

• The showroom is on the ground floor of the building and above it there is a lodge which has four floors.
• There were 25 customers in the lodge at the time of the incident.
• While the smoke blocked the exit of the lodge and engulfed 1st and 2nd floor, several people found themselves trapped.
• Out of these, six died on the spot due to smoke inhalation. Later, 2 more people were found dead.
• Some people also jumped from the building to save themselves. 
• Around 15 people escaped the building.
• Additional DCP, North Zone Hyderabad, said: " The fire started due to a short circuit. There is a lodge above the showroom in which people were trapped. A rescue operation is underway."
• SHO Y Nageshwar Rao said that the lodge had only one exit because of which people were trapped. He also said that an FIR has been registered against the owner of the showroom Rajender Singh Bagga and his two sons. Bagga, however, is on the run.

Telangana Home Minister reached the spot: State Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali reached the incident site to oversee the rescue operation. He condemned the incident. Speaking to news agency ANI, he said: " Some people were rescued from the lodge. We are probing how the incident happened."

Very unfortunate incident. Fire brigade teams tried their best to rescue people from the lodge but due to heavy smoke, some people died. Some people were rescued from the lodge. We are probing how the incident happened: Telangana Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali https://t.co/6MwdNqzFKh pic.twitter.com/tMd1IW0yYH

— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2022

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences on the incident. He also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of those who died and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Taking to Twitter he wrote: "Saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire in Secunderabad, Telangana. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be paid to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs 50,000 would be paid to the injured."

  Saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire in Secunderabad, Telangana. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be paid to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs. 50,000 would be paid to the injured: PM @narendramodi

  — PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 13, 2022