Six people lost life in Swapnalok Complex fire

A short circuit is suspected to have led to the fire at Swapnalok Complex, which claimed six lives on Thursday night.

The victims, who died of asphyxiation in the fire were identified as Pramila, Shravani, Prashanth, Triveni, Shiva and Vennela, all aged below 25 and natives of Warangal, Khammam and Mahabubabad districts, who came to the city on work purpose.

Incidentally, the complex had safety systems in place, but none of them were in working condition.

Fire Department Director General Y Nagi Reddy said the complex was recently inspected and the management was asked to maintain safety equipment. The management responding and acting in time could have averted the mishap.

A preliminary probe by the Fire Department indicated a short circuit at the switch panel board on the ground floor led to the fire which along with smoke spread to the top floors.

The Mahankali police on Friday booked a case against Swapnalok Suryakiran Establishment Association and others in connection with the fire mishap which claimed six young lives on Thursday night.

Based on a complaint from P Srinivas, the complex supervisor, a case for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, cheating, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and under the Explosives Act was booked against Swapnalok Suryakiran Association, Kedia Infotech Ltd, Vikas Paper Packaging Ltd and against QNet and Vihan Direct Selling Pvt Ltd, where the victims were working.

The search operation carried out jointly by the Fire Department and the police, which came to halt on Thursday night due to the darkness and smoke still engulfing the complex, resumed again on



Friday.

Teams ventured into the complex and checked each floor to ascertain that no one remained trapped in the fire. Doctors at the Gandhi Hospital, who conducted the autopsy opined the victims died of suffocation and asphyxiation. Few of them had burn injuries on their bodies.

Meanwhile, the complex was closed to shop owners. Even after repeated requests from the owners of the shops on the ground, first and second floors, they were not allowed inside. The complex was taken into control by the police personnel.

Fire Department Director General (DG) Y Nagi Reddy who visited the fire site, said negligence on part of Swapnalok Complex was evident in the fire mishap incident. “On receiving the call, we immediately reached the spot and rescued 12 persons. 

During search operations, six persons were found in a room in an unconscious state. They were shifted to the hospital, where they died,” he said. Though there was fire safety equipment in place, it was not operational. Water was available, but the pump was not working when fire personnel tried to use them during the rescue operation, he added.

Meanwhile, the Clues Team visited Swapnalok Complex and collected samples from the spot on Friday. Preliminary investigation revealed an electrical short circuit to have led to the fire. They examined the switchboard panel on the ground floor and collected the damaged wires and other materials from the spot. A senior official said, “We suspect an electrical fluctuation due to the heavy wind and rain resulted in a short circuit in the electrical panel board. It subsequently passed to other floors of the complex.”