| Date | 18 May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time | ~4:45 AM IST |
| Location | Gulzar Houz, Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| Cause | Suspected electrical short circuit |
| Deaths | 17 |
| Non-fatal injuries | Several |
| Property damage | Extensive damage to a three-story building |
The 2025 Gulzar Houz fire occurred on 18 May 2025 in a century-old building located in the Gulzar Houz area near Charminar in Hyderabad, India. The blaze resulted in the deaths of 17 members of a single family, including eight children, and highlighted critical issues related to fire safety and building regulations in the region.
The eight-room three-storey (G+2) [1] building was estimated to be about 125 years old. [2] It was built by Manoharlal Poonamchand, founder of Modi Pearls, in the "Nizam-Hyderabadi" style. [3] It was inhabited by the Modi family, pearl traders who had migrated from Rajasthan decades prior. [4] There were shops on the ground floor and the family lived on the first and second floors. [5]
As described by The Hindu:
It opened into a central courtyard with a skylight, surrounded by rooms on two floors secured with antique cement railings, each one housing members of three generations. [6]
The extended family from across India had gathered at the house to attend a family reunion in Attapur, and children were present due to the summer holidays. [3] A total of about 21 people were in the building when the fire broke out. [7]
The building's wooden interiors and lack of ventilation facilitated the rapid spread of smoke and flames. Additionally, the structure had only a single narrow exit, hindering evacuation efforts. The absence of basic fire safety measures, such as fire extinguishers and proper electrical earthing, further exacerbated the situation. [8] [9]
Parked motorcycles completely blocked the ground floor exit and their fuel further exacerbated the fire. [10] The building had 14 air conditioning (AC) units, which put excessive pressure on aged power cables. [11] Due to the presence of the AC units, all of the windows in the building were closed, which caused the building to effectively act as a gas chamber. [12]
The fire reportedly started around 4:45 AM IST in the ground-floor pearl shop of the building, likely due to a short circuit in the display cabinet's wiring. This led to an explosion in the air-conditioner's compressor, causing the fire to spread rapidly through the building, which featured wooden interiors and lacked proper ventilation. [13]
A worker noticed the fire, and alerted the family, three of whom attempted to extinguish the fire themselves with buckets and domestic water pipes for approximately 45 minutes before contacting emergency services. The delay in reporting the fire contributed to the severity of the incident. [14] [15] The remaining family members went to the first floor to escape the smoke, as they expected the fire to be brought under control and thought that it would not spread. [16]
At 6:00 AM IST, two women from the Modi family exited the building to alert nearby people about the fire; these people contacted emergency services. [15] The first distress call was received by emergency services at 6:16 AM IST, after which a fire engine from Moghalpura was dispatched, and it reached the building four minutes later. Ten more fire engines responded to the incident and a total of 87 firefighters were involved in the rescue operation. The firefighters could not use the entrance, as it was blocked by motorcycles, and instead entered the neighboring building and knocked down a wall on the second floor. [17] The fire was brought under control by 9 AM IST. [18]
Thirteen people were saved by two bystanders, men returning from namaz (morning prayers), before emergency services had arrived. They had rushed into the building at 6:10 AM after they heard two women yelling Bhaiya, bachao! ("Brother, save us!"). After breaking down two barriers, they found a room with women and children trapped inside. They then climbed to the second floor, where they found six more people. The two brought survivors out of the building at 8:40 AM. [19] Other bystanders assisted fire and ambulance crews in various ways: directing traffic as ad hoc traffic police, helping firefighters set up ladders and hoses, and assisting ambulance crews with stretchers. [20]
All 17 victims were members of jeweler Prahlad Modi's family, spanning three generations, [21] and all had asphyxiated due to the smoke; their bodies were recovered unburnt. [22] All of the child victims were below the age of seven. [23] Three of the victims had previously escaped, but were overcome by smoke and heat after they reentered the burning building to save others. [6] [17] The remains of the victims were brought to the Osmania General Hospital's mortuary at around 11:30 AM from various hospitals. [24] Fifteen of the victims were cremated in Puranapul, in the presence of police and Anudeep Durishetty, the Hyderabad district collector, and two were cremated in Punjagutta and Kukatpally. [25]
An unnamed fire official quoted by The Hindu said that the death toll would have been lower if the occupants of the building had instead "rushed to the terrace". [26] Though the door to the terrace was locked, four people were rescued from it by ladder. [27] They were the only survivors of the fire. [7]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was 'deeply anguished' by the incident and announced a ₹ 200,000 (US$2,400) payment to the deceased's next of kin, and ₹50,000 (US$590) to the injured; both of which to be paid from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. [28] President Droupadi Murmu, [29] Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, [30] [31] Minister of Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and Legislature Party Leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy [32] offered condolences.
The Government of Telangana announced a ₹500,000 (US$5,900) payment to the deceased's family members. [29] Chief minister Revanth Reddy ordered an investigation into the cause of the fire. [33] As of 2 July 2025 [update] , no report has been issued by the investigative committee, nor has there been any instructions given to the committee members. [34] The Telangana State Human Rights Commission said that they suspected gross negligence in the building's electrical and fire safety systems. [35] In July, the Telangana government announced another payment of ₹8,500,000 (US$100,000) to the victims, paid from the chief minister's relief fund. [36] [37]
Former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, former minister T. Harish Rao, and MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha offered their condolences to the relatives of the victims. [38] Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president K. T. Rama Rao criticised Revanth Reddy for not visiting the scene of the fire; K. T. Rama Rao had visited the family's residence in Attapur to give condolences. He also implored the government to provide a ₹2,500,000 (US$30,000) ex gratia to each of the families of the victims. [39]
Miss World 2025, Suchata Chuangsri, posted on social media that she had met three of the girls who died in the fire during a heritage walk in Laad Bazaar on 15 May, and that she prays for their souls and hopes that they would meet again in their next lives. [40] [41] During a visit to the Telangana Secretariat on 19 May, 10 other Miss World contestants, along with ministers and officials, participated in a minute of silence in honour of the victims. [42]
Government officials from various departments inspected the site, and the Charminar police registered a case to investigate the incident further. [43] In response to the incident, the Telangana Fire Department collaborated with a local gaming company to recreate the incident using visual effects (VFX) for investigative and educational purposes. [44]
The two men that rescued 13 people from the burning building were felicitated by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen at their headquarters. [45]