Hyderabad warehouse fires kill dozens annually
Hyderabad: A fire at a shop claimed 11 lives in Hyderabad. The Kushayiguda timber depot incident killed three members of a family. Five people died recently in a furniture warehouse fire in Nampally.
Such incidents recur every year in the city, claiming dozens of lives. Residents allege official inaction against warehouses operating in violation of safety norms.
Over 20,000 warehouses across three districts
Officials estimate that more than 20,000 warehouses operate across three districts in the capital region. Around 6,000 of them store chemicals. Nearly 400 such units function in Secunderabad, Nampally and Begum Bazaar.
In Nampally and Ziaguda, chemical warehouses operate in cellars, with workers housed on upper floors. Similar units are found in several lanes in these areas. Locals say authorities are aware but have not acted.
In Mushirabad, Fatehnagar and Balanagar industrial areas, timber shops and scrap godowns operate amid residential colonies.
Timber depots, scrap units operate in residential areas
Hundreds of scrap warehouses and chemical storage centres function in Ramgopalpet, Old Boiguda and Ranigunj. Plastic and carton storage units have come up in Begumpet’s Prakash Nagar Extension and Amberpet’s Golnaka. In Ziaguda, Karwan and Katedan, inspections are rare despite hundreds of such units.
Timber depots and firewood markets in Attapur, LB Nagar, Karmanghat and Mushirabad operate close to houses. A single spark can trigger flames that spread within minutes to nearby homes and apartments due to combustible material, smoke and heat.
Cellars are converted into warehouses to store chemicals, paints, mattresses and batteries without regulation. In case of an accident, escape routes are limited.
Most warehouses are temporary structures. Housing workers within timber yards has increased fatalities in recent fires. The absence of firefighting equipment, use of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, power fluctuations, exposed wiring and substandard electrical equipment add to the risk.
