Hyderabad: Several houses gutted in slum at Bowenpally; no casualties

♦    Fire department suspects cylinder blast

♦    Three autos were also burnt in incident

♦    Slum dwellers include migrant labourers

♦    Many went to native places; 1 family residing

♦    3 families returned on Friday to see only ashes

Bowenpally: A major fire broke out at 12:30 at Bapuji Nagar slum at Bowenpally here on Friday afternoon. There were 14 huts spread over two acres.

Two fire extinguishers from Secunderabad and a Fire Snorkel vehicle rushed to the spot and it took four hours to douse the fire. Several huts and three autorickshaws were destroyed. No casualties have been reported.

Most of the slum dwellers are migrant workers. Luckily, no one was injured but two fire staff sustained burns. Maheshwar Reddy, the member SCB ward-1 where the incident occurred, said, "No casualties were reported.

Only one out of the 14 families was residing there." Three families had returned to the city this morning.

Labour Minister C Malla Reddy donated Rs 25,000 each for the four families and assured further help from the State government.

Four families would be temporarily shifted to the government hostel at New Bowenpally where food and other arrangements are made, he said.

Mohan Rao, Station Fire officer, Secunderabad said, "Three fire engines were put in place and it took nearly four hours to completely douse the fire and clear the debris from the spot.

We used both water and foam to douse the fire. We are still investigating the cause of the fire." "We are daily wagers. Due to lockdown we went to our home town.

Just now we returned from Mahbubnagar and we saw our huts burning," said a worried Mallaiah.