Charging of e-bikes may have sparked Secunderabad showroom fire killing 8

At least eight people were killed after a massive fire broke out in an electric vehicle showroom in Secunderabad on Monday night. At least 25 people were trapped in the building at the time of the incident.

Some people jumped from their windows, while some were rescued by firefighters.

The fire broke out in the e-bike showroom at around 10 pm and soon engulfed the entire building, spreading to the hotel located above the showroom. Most of the dead were occupants of the hotel. Some people tried to jump out of the hotel windows in a bid to escape the fire.

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‘e-bikes being charged blew up’

The e-bike showroom was in the building’s cellar and ground floor. Around 35-40 electric vehicles of the GEMOPAI brand were parked in the cellar of the building with charging units. Police suspect that e-bikes that were parked on the ground floor were kept on charging and they suddenly blew up, triggering the blaze.

The police though said that the exact reasons for the fire will be known after the fire department’s investigation.

Police and firefighters used cranes and other equipment to pluck stranded hotel guests from upper floors of the four-storey building as smoke billowed out of its windows, media images showed. Firefighters rescued seven guests trapped in the multi-storeyed building. They were shifted to hospitals.

The police said there were 23 rooms on all the four floors in the hotel. According to Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand, the smoke traversed through the staircase from the bottom up to the top floor and completely engulfed all floors. Some people who were sleeping in the first and second floors came to the corridor through the thick smoke and died due to asphyxiation.

Fire safety was compromised

As per reports, the building had no fire NOC and fire safety equipment too were not functioning in the premises.

A case has been registered against the owner of the building where the fire broke out. He is absconding after the incident.

Also read: EV fire mishaps continue despite govt warning; makers press recall button

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Minister K T Rama Rao condoled the loss of lives and announced ex-gratia on behalf of the Centre and the state government, respectively.

The incident is the latest in a spate of electric scooter fires this year across the country.

(With agency inputs)