Hyderabad: At least 11 migrant workers from Bihar were burnt alive in a massive fire in a timber godown at Bhoiguda region in Secunderabad in the early hours of Wednesday.
The deceased are from Chapra district in Bihar. They were identified as Pankaj, Rajesh, Bittu, Sikander, Dipak, Satyander, Damodar, Raju, Chintu and Dinesh.
Police said the fire erupted at 4 am. It is suspected that the fire was caused due to a short circuit in the godown.
The remaining managed to escape. One rescued person is admitted in critical condition at the Gandhi Hospital.
Chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased. He also directed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to make arrangements for the return of the bodies to Bihar.
Telangana minister Talsani Srinivas Yadav reached the spot after receiving information about the incident. Speaking to media, he said the fire incident was unfortunate. Yadav said that the relief efforts were delayed due to the early hours of the morning. The minister also said that a full investigation would be carried out into the incident.
President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his condolences to the members of the bereaved families. “The death of workers in a fire accident at a godown in Secunderabad, Telangana is a tragedy beyond words. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. I wish speedy recovery for the injured,” he wrote on Twitter.
India Blooms News Service
