Hyderabad: Fire broke out at the Gokool Restaurant in West Marredpally early on Saturday, causing panic among residents, who live in the same building. Two fire tenders rushed to the spot and put out the blaze after an effort lasting around two hours.
Although the restaurant’s owners told the police that the fire erupted due to the malfunctioning of electric cables, fire officials said that it could be due to the blaze from one of the gas stoves. Fire officials found fire crackers in a storeroom near the kitchen.
Eyewitnesses said the fire erupted at around 5 am inside the kitchen. The fire spread quickly and burnt the furniture on the ground floor. “The blaze then spread outside the building to the ventilation and ceiling. Thick smoke gushed into the residential part of the building on the first and second floors where seven people were sleeping,” said a witness.
Some employees of Gokool Restaurant, who claimed they were sleeping in one part of the restaurant, woke up and rushed out escaping death. They then informed the police and fire officials.
Meanwhile, people living in the residential portion of the building woke up due to the thick smoke and heat and rushed out. “I suddenly woke up as thick smoke filled the room. I could feel the heat. I rushed out of the building. If I had been late by a few minutes I would have fainted inside my locked room and died,” said a person living on the third floor.
A fire official said they found the debris of fire crackers after they put out the fire. “When we came firecrackers were exploding. The employees must have stored crackers for Diwali,” he said, adding that they must have kept a gas stove open, which caught fire due to the heat inside.
Police said they did not receive any complaint from the restaurant owners. “We are not investigating since there is no complaint. We have alerted the GHMC and they will check if the restaurant is illegal,” said inspector C. Uma Maheswar Rao. Gokool owners were not ready to talk about the issue to DC.
Blaze in Panjagutta building
A fire broke out in a car accessories shop in Panjagutta on Saturday. Fire spread to the next shop by the time four fire tenders came to the spot. A major portion of the building was gutted.
The blaze erupted in Car Shringar, a showroom located on the ground floor of My Home Laxmi Nivas, at around 12 am. Owner Rakesh opened the shutter, saw sparks and before he could react, the blaze spread across the showroom.
He immediately called fire services and the police. Four fire engines from Sanath Nagar and Secunderabad rushed to the spot. A snorkel also arrived and used foam and water to put out the fire. The firemen took around two hours to extinguish the fire. The police said a case was booked based on a complaint by the showroom owner.
