Major Fire Engulfs Hyderabad Cotton Warehouse for Over 12 Hours
A significant fire incident occurred on the outskirts of Hyderabad, where a cotton godown near Shadnagar in Rangareddy district was engulfed in flames for more than twelve hours. The blaze, which started on Saturday morning, continued to rage intensely throughout the day, posing a serious challenge to firefighting teams.
Firefighting Efforts and Response
The fire department received an emergency distress call at approximately 8:08 am, prompting an immediate response. Initially, two fire tenders from Shadnagar were dispatched to the location. As the fire's intensity escalated rapidly, authorities deployed an additional four fire engines from nearby stations, along with a specialized bronto skylift vehicle to aid in containment efforts.
Firefighters employed strategic methods to combat the flames, including manually pulling out cotton bundles and utilizing water pumped from a nearby canal. Despite these efforts, the operation proved exceptionally difficult due to the highly combustible nature of the stored cotton.
Warehouse Details and Challenges
The affected warehouse, belonging to Sri Krishna Industries and located in Nandigama, spans nearly 2,900 square metres. It was stocked with substantial quantities of cotton owned by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), which significantly complicated firefighting operations.
District Fire Officer Murli Manohar Reddy highlighted the operational challenges, stating, "The godown could not be accessed from both sides due to heavy flames and dense smoke. It may take until late night or even Sunday morning to fully contain the blaze." Limited access to the structure hampered efforts to bring the fire under control more quickly.
Investigation into the Cause
Preliminary investigations have not found immediate evidence of an electrical short circuit as the cause. However, authorities are considering the possibility that lightning during heavy cloud cover the previous night might have triggered the fire. The exact reason and the full extent of property damage will be determined following a detailed investigation involving the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC).
Officials confirmed that there were no injuries or casualties reported from the incident, which is a relief given the scale and duration of the fire. The community and emergency services remain on alert as efforts continue to fully extinguish the blaze and assess the aftermath.
