Fire breaks out in commercial building, no casualties

Hyderabad: A fire broke out in a six-storey commercial building housing a large number of IT coaching centres and shops, at Ameerpet here on Friday. No casualties were reported as authorities evacauted about 100 people using ladders and by staircase, police said. Students attending IT courses on the upper floors managed to exit via the staircase, while others were safely assisted down by the fire brigade through both the balcony and the stairs.

The fire occurred at about 10.30 am following an electric short circuit in a duct in the ground floor of the building near a lift. The insulation material in it was burnt leading to heavy smoke billowing from the premises, they said.

Personnel from Telangana fire services department, police, Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) responded immediately and put out the blaze.

Ameerpet, a densely populated locality, is home to a large number of coaching centres offering software courses. Last month, five persons, including two children and an elderly woman, died after a fire broke out in a four-storey furniture shop building at Nampally here.