Hyderabad, Nov 25 (IANS) One person was killed, and five others were injured in a massive fire in an electronics shop in the old city of Hyderabad, police said on Tuesday.

The fire started in an electronics shop in Shahalibanda on Monday due to a short circuit. An explosion in the CNG cylinder in a car parked in front of the shop led to further spread.

An unidentified person, who was near the shop and sustained injuries, was shifted to Osmania General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Police issued a lookout notice for the identification of the deceased. The male person was said to be aged around 50-55 years.

According to C. Srinu, Station House Officer of Moghalpura Police Station, the deceased seems to be Muslim.

Meanwhile, police also recorded a statement from Shivakumar Bansal, the owner of the electronics shop. He was also injured in the accident and is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital.

He told police that at about 10 p.m., when he was sitting at the counter, he heard a blast in the showroom. Even as he was trying to figure out what was happening, he heard another explosion and saw flames. He also heard the third explosion, fell and suffered burn injuries.

The fire spread to the adjoining warehouse and other shops, resulting in property loss.

An adjoining cloth shop was completely gutted in the fire.

Window panes in the surrounding houses were also shattered under the impact of the explosion.

The fire was also suspected to have intensified due to the explosion of several refrigerator cylinders, geysers and electronic items stored in the shop.

Eight fire engines, a skylift fire truck, and a firefighting robot were pressed into service to bring the fire under control. It took more than two hours for the firefighting personnel to douse the flames.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) Khare Kiran Prabhakar said the fire started in the electronics shop due to a short circuit. The flames engulfed a CNG car parked in front of the shop, and the cylinder blast caused the fire to spread rapidly.

Few people were working in the shops, and some were also sitting in the car. Because of fire and explosion, six people were injured and admitted to the hospital.

The DCP told the media that firefighters brought the situation under control, preventing further damage.

He appealed to citizens not to believe fake news circulating on social media.

The DCP urged the media to rely only on official information from the police and avoid sharing unverified news that may lead to unnecessary panic.

–IANS

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