Hyderabad: At least 11 persons were injured and nine bikes gutted after a fire broke out in the basement of a residential complex, JV Plaza in TNGOs Colony, Gachibowli on Monday morning.One of the injured is said to be in a critical condition with burn injuries, while the others are undergoing treatment for smoke inhalation. Officials said a short-circuit that occurred during the charging of an electric vehicle in the cellar is suspected to have caused the blaze.Three sofas kept in the cellar may have aggravated the spread of the fire, officials said.Gachibowli station fire officer (SFO) N Srikanth said a distress call came in at around 7.20 am, after which two fire engines were rushed to the spot from Gachibowli and Madhapur. “It was a G+4 building, with a penthouse on the top floor. Around 40 people were in the apartment complex when the incident occurred,” he said.The fire first engulfed the cellar and later reached the first two floors, leading to residents panicking and gathering on the terrace. It took officials 20 minutes to bring the fire under control, followed by rescue operations.Mani Babu, a resident of the building, told TOI that while most of the residents rushed to the terrace to escape the fire, two of his roommates living on the second floor went downstairs believing that the fire originated from the second floor. “Both of them inhaled smoke. One of them, Rajashekhar, was critically injured after receiving burn injuries,” he said.The cellar had a room in which the security guard of the apartment lived with his family. “The guard’s seven-month-old daughter suffered severe breathing issues due to smoke inhalation and is undergoing treatment in hospital,” a resident told reporters.The injured were rushed to Continental Hospital. “The building did not have water sprinklers in the cellar. We are checking for further lapses. So far, we know that three sofas were kept in the cellar,” said Madhapur SFO Anjaneyulu.There were conflicting reports on the number of injured people. While police said 11 were injured, hospital officials said 16 people were initially brought to the hospital of which three were discharged after being given first aid. “Currently, 13 are being treated at our hospital. Rajashekhar is in a critical condition with severe burn injuries and is admitted to the ICU,” a hospital spokesperson said.Gachibowli SI K Shashipal Reddy said a case has been registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Mani Babu, and further investigation is underway.The incident comes nearly four months after a fire in the cellar of a furniture shop in Nampally left five people dead, including two children.
