By BOOM Team
A massive fire broke out in an e-scooter showroom in Telangana's Secunderabad and spread to a hotel late night on Monday. Eight people have been killed in the fire accident in the multi-storeyed building, according to officials.
What started the fire?
According to reports, the fire broke out at around 9.30 pm in the showroom, Ruby Motors, located in the basement of the building, and spread to the hotel to the upper floor of the building where the hotel was located. At least 20 people were believed to be in the hotel at the time of the accident.
Who are the people who died?
The only exit from the building was next to the showroom where the fire broke out and was blocked by fire and smoke. most people died of asphyxiation, while several others suffered injuries after jumping out to safety from the windows. Most of the deceased include tourists, the police said.
How did firefighters respond
Two fire engines reached the spot and helped rescue people from the windows since the only exit was blocked by fire. The police said that around 22 people were in the lodge at the time of the fire, "The injured have been shifted to different hospitals. Some of the people who tried to escape the fire jumped through the windows and were injured in the process," North Zone DCP Chandana Deepthi was quoted as saying by The News Minute.
Cause of fire
While the cause of the fire is being ascertained, the police have said the fire was either caused by an e-scooter or a generator placed in the e-scooter showroom.
E-bike manufacturers have been under the scanner lately over increased incidents of the two-wheelers catching fire. A Reuters report published in May quoted government sources saying that faulty battery cells and modules were "identified as the leading cause of electric scooters catching fire in India". The government had launched a probe after back-to-back fire incidents in e-scooters were being reported. "The probe looked into fire incidents involving three companies, including Ola Electric, which is backed by Japan's SoftBank Group (9984.T), and was the country's top-selling e-scooter maker in April," the Reuters report said.
