A massive blaze ripped through a mixed-use building known as Gulzar House in Hyderabad’s Old City on the morning of May 18, 2025, killing at least 17 people, including eight children. The fire broke out around 6:00 AM on Sunday in a ground-floor jewellery shop called “Krishna Pearls,” and quickly spread to the densely packed residential flats above. Narrow lanes and shared walls between century-old shops in the area helped the flames race through the structure. Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said all the victims were members of the same family. Officials identified victims ranging from elderly couples in their 60s and 70s to young children as young as one year old.
Fire Outbreak and Emergency Response
According to fire department officials, an emergency call was received at 6:16 AM and eleven fire engines were dispatched within minutes. First responders arrived on scene shortly thereafter, but by that time the fire had already engulfed multiple floors. Rescuers used breathing apparatus, oxygen masks and hydraulic platforms to battle the blaze and evacuate residents from smoke-filled apartments. The operation, which involved about 70 firefighters and several officers, continued for over two hours before the flames were fully extinguished. “The fire broke out around 6:00 am, and by 6:16 am, the Telangana Fire Department was present at the scene,” Ponnam Prabhakar said. “They did their best to save everyone, but unfortunately, the fire had already spread extensively”.
Emergency crews shifted several survivors with burn or suffocation injuries to nearby hospitals. A senior fire officer told The Indian Express that about nine people were hospitalized with burn injuries, while others may have asphyxiated before they could escape.
Cause and Investigation
Initial investigations point to an electrical short circuit as the likely cause of the fire. Telangana Disaster Response and Fire Services Director-General Y. Nagi Reddy said preliminary examinations “show that the cause was a short circuit” in the Krishna Pearls shop, and that the blaze then spread rapidly upward into the residential levels. Authorities noted that the compact, old construction of the building – part of a block of century-old jewellery shops – would have allowed smoke and flames to travel quickly from one unit to the next. The state fire department said it was conducting a thorough inquiry to establish the exact cause, and that the loss of life would be examined in detail.
Official Reactions and Relief
Local and national leaders expressed shock and offered condolences in the aftermath. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said he was “deeply shocked” by the tragedy and ordered officials to step up rescue and relief efforts. He instructed authorities to ensure “the best possible medical care” for those injured and to assist the affected families. Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who oversaw the response on site, confirmed that the state government would provide financial aid: “We will provide ₹4 lakh (400,000) to the next of kin of each deceased,” he said, and added that a “thorough investigation” would be carried out.
Union Home Minister G. Kishan Reddy, who visited the scene on Sunday, promised the central government’s support. “Such incidents are very sad,” he said, urging that “the police, municipal, fire and electricity departments must be made stronger” to prevent future tragedies. Kishan Reddy also said he would push for additional financial assistance for the victims’ families through the Prime Minister’s Office.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was “deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana”. The PM announced ex-gratia payments of ₹2 lakh (200,000) from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the families of each deceased, and ₹50,000 to each injured person. The Telangana state government likewise declared ₹4 lakh for each victim’s family.
Other regional leaders also weighed in. K.T. Rama Rao, a senior official of the ruling BRS party, said he was “extremely shocked and pained” and offered “heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims”. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi and former Charminar MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan visited the site and condoled with survivors and rescue teams.
Investigators and engineers continued examining the burned structure for evidence of wiring faults or safety violations. Fire officials noted that the building’s narrow single entryway had complicated the rescue, and said that additional equipment such as robots and Bronto Skylift platforms had been used. Authorities promised to carry out structural and safety audits of other old-city buildings to prevent similar calamities.
