The Telangana government has formed a six-member committee of senior officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the recent building fire in Hyderabad that claimed 17 lives, State Minister Ponnam Prabhakar announced on Tuesday.
He stated that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will review the findings once the committee submits its detailed report, following which necessary actions will be taken. “There is no conspiracy involved. The government responded promptly,” Prabhakar added, noting that the Chief Minister had immediately ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Authorities from the police and Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services confirmed that the cause of the fire remains under investigation. While preliminary reports suggested an electrical short circuit originating from the main electrical panel in the shopping area on the ground floor, officials emphasized that the exact cause will be determined through expert analysis.
When questioned about a statement from an electricity department official—citing an eyewitness who claimed a cylinder blast triggered the fire—a Charminar division police officer said such conclusions were premature. “Unless you are an expert or an eyewitness, such claims cannot be verified. An expert team will conduct a proper investigation,” the officer told PTI.
Fire Department officials also denied observing any cylinder explosion at the site. They stated that the shopping area had recently undergone wooden panel decoration, which was found charred, along with burnt electrical wiring and damaged air-conditioners on the upper floors.
The building comprised jewellery shops on the ground floor, while residential units were located on the first and second floors. Due to a narrow staircase being the sole escape route, smoke quickly spread, leading to fatal suffocation for many trapped residents.
