Fire breaks out at workshop; no casualty reported

Hyderabad: A major fire broke out at a workshop and spread to a cluster of shops at Vijayanagar Colony here, though nobody was injured in the incident, police sources said on Monday.

A thick cloud of black smoke engulfed the area even as fire and police department personnel swung into action to douse the blaze. Telangana Home Minister Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy, who visited the spot told reporters that the fire broke out in a mechanical workshop and spread to nearby shops and godowns.

The fire started at around 4 pm at a workshop and spread to adjoining shops storing paints and thinners. There were lot of old tyres. The cause of the fire will be known only after an inquiry is conducted into the matter, Additional police commissioner (Law and Order) Anjani Kumar told. As many as 16 fire engines as well as water cannons and water tankers were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze, the senior police officer said, adding, There is no loss of life. The fire has now been brought under control.

Only property loss occurred and the quantum of loss can be determined during the inquiry. It is still not clear how the fire started. Some say it is due to a electrical short-circuit, while others say that the fire broke out after explosion of some gas cylinders at the workshop. The matter is under investigation, Kumar said. Hyderabad Police Commissioner M Mahendar Reddy, other senior police and fire department officials supervised the situation.