Five killed in fire at furniture shop building in Hyderabad
Hyderabad (PTI): Five persons, including two children and an elderly woman, died after a fire broke out in a four-storey furniture shop building in Nampally here, officials said on Sunday.
A major fire broke out on Saturday in the building, after which rescue operations were launched to save five persons trapped in the basement, officials said.
"Five bodies, including that of two boys and an elderly woman were retrieved from the cellar of the building on Sunday," a senior police official told PTI.
They are suspected to have died due to asphyxiation. However, the cause of the deaths would be known after post-mortem, she said.
ALSO READ: Three killed in fire at furniture shop building in Hyderabad
When asked about the cause of the blaze, the official said it was under investigation. A case was registered against the owner of the shop, the official added.
Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence Department Director General Vikram Singh Mann told media on Sunday that furniture, raw material, chemicals, plastics, mattresses, foam were among the materials stored in the two basements of the building.
This apart, accommodation with a room was provided to a security guard and his family in the cellar, he said, adding the basements were meant only for parking.
Multiple agencies, including police, fire, NDRF personnel and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), took part in the rescue operations that began Saturday afternoon.
Although the fire was brought under control, thick smoke billowing out from the building made the operation difficult.
The ramp leading to the basements was also blocked with materials which made it difficult for rescue personnel to access, officials earlier said.
Those who were trapped were the family members of a security guard and other workers.
Expressing shock over the incident, Transport and Hyderabad District in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Sunday said the government would support the families of the victims.
He directed the police officials to file criminal cases against the shop owner for "not following" fire safety guidelines.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
