A devastating fire broke out early Sunday morning at the Srikrishna Pearls building near Charminar’s Gulzar House, resulting in the tragic loss of 17 lives, including four women and two children. The fire, which started around 6 am, engulfed the congested commercial-cum-residential building, home to the well-known Modi Pearls store on the ground floor and living quarters for the trader’s family and employees on the upper floor. Several residents were trapped, while others fell unconscious due to the intense smoke. Firefighters responded quickly, deploying eleven tenders to control the flames and rescue those caught inside.

Among the deceased are Prahlad (70), Munni (70), Rajendar Modi (65), Sumitra (60), children as young as 1.5 years old, and multiple members of the same family. Around 30 people were present in the building at the time of the incident. Rescue operations were hindered by the narrow lanes surrounding the site. The injured victims, suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, were rushed to hospitals including Osmania, Yashoda Malakpet, Apollo DRDO, and Apollo Hyderguda. As of now, the cause of the fire remains unknown, and authorities are investigating the incident.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep shock over the incident and directed officials to ensure the best medical care for the injured. He remains in constant communication with police and fire services to oversee relief efforts. Local MLA Mir Zulfiqar Ali also visited the site to monitor the situation and support ongoing rescue measures. The tragedy has left the city in mourning as Hyderabad reels from one of its deadliest fire accidents in recent years.