-
2 weeks ago | 
thehindu.com | Naveen Kumar |Lavpreet Kaur
A short circuit in the electric panel board of the Ground+2 commercial-cum-residential property caused the deadly fire which killed 17 of a family, the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services has said. Seventeen persons, including eight children aged between one and seven, were killed after a massive fire engulfed the Modi residence in Gulzar Houz, a stone’s throw away from Charminar, at around 6 a.m. on Sunday.
-
2 weeks ago | 
thehindu.com | Lavpreet Kaur |Naveen Kumar
On Sunday morning, Charminar looked as usual, the usual noise of shutters opening filled the air. Nearby, people were having their first chai of the day. All this was happening just a stone’s throw from the Modi family home where 17 people died of fire. For decades, the Modis had been an integral part of this locality —veteran pearl traders who ran the well-known M. Poonamchand Jewellers and Pearls.
-
2 weeks ago | 
thehindu.com | Naveen Kumar
Just minutes after offering their morning namaz, Mir Zahed and Mohd Azmath were walking past the building near Gulzar Houz when they heard screams from two women. Smoke was billowing from the upper floors of the house, and panic had gripped the narrow lane. Hyderabad fire updates: May 18, 2025“We saw two women crying, saying there was a fire and people were stuck inside,” recalled Zahed.
-
3 weeks ago | 
thehindu.com | Naveen Kumar |Lavpreet Kaur
In a bid to maintain heightened vigilance and reinforce public confidence, police forces across Hyderabad and Cyberabad have intensified patrolling efforts, even as reports emerge of fresh tensions along the northern borders on Saturday (May 10) night, hours after a ceasefire was announced by both countries. Both commissionerates have rolled out extensive foot and mobile patrolling across key urban and industrial areas.
-
1 month ago | 
thehindu.com | Naveen Kumar
Hyderabad’s Tarnaka junction, barricaded for nearly a decade, was thrown open on a trial basis from April 18. And the jury’s still out about the change. Initially slated to end on May 2, the trial has now been extended, but the outcome remains as tangled as the traffic it’s meant to ease. The junction was reopened to assess how it would affect vehicular flow between Lalapet and Osmania University. But according to officers on the ground, the results have been far from conclusive.
-
1 month ago | 
thehindu.com | Lavpreet Kaur |Naveen Kumar
As sirens blared across parts of Hyderabad at exactly 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Operation Abhyaas, the city’s biggest civil defence mock drill in recent memory, got underway, cutting through an afternoon of confusion caused by fake news claiming the event had been called off. A timely statement from the Cyberabad Police put the rumours to rest, confirming that the drill would go ahead as planned.
-
1 month ago | 
thehindu.com | Lavpreet Kaur |Naveen Kumar
At precisely 4 p.m., sirens echoed in parts of Hyderabad, signalling the beginning of Operation Abhyaas, a well-planned civil defence mock drill aimed at preparing the city for large-scale emergencies. Though the public had been notified, the sight of emergency vehicles, uniformed personnel and rescue operations brought the realness of the rehearsal into sharp focus. In Aswini Colony, West Marredpally, nestled within the Secunderabad Cantonment, the exercise began on cue.
-
1 month ago | 
thehindu.com | Naveen Kumar
Careless smoking has emerged as the top cause of fires across Telangana in 2024, according to data by the State Fire and Emergency Services department. The figures reveal a total of 3,865 fire incidents triggered by discarded cigarette butts and negligent smoking — far outpacing all other causes. Electrical short circuits came in second, causing 2,151 incidents, while a catch-all category labelled ‘others’ accounted for 845 cases.
-
1 month ago | 
thehindu.com | Lavpreet Kaur |Naveen Kumar
The Telangana police have begun the process of deportation of 33 Pakistani nationals in the State, following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued on April 24 in the wake of the Pahalgam terror strike. On Friday (25 April 2025), Telangana Director General of Police Jitender issued an advisory implementing the Centre’s order. Under this order, all regular visas issued to Pakistani citizens will be cancelled from April 27.
-
1 month ago | 
thehindu.com | Naveen Kumar
At the Sitaphalmandi intersection, a constable props himself against a traffic sign, seeking relief under the thin strip of shade cast by a signboard. He sips from a half-finished bottle of water and has a sachet of orange-flavoured glucose. Across the junctions in the city, traffic police in white - heads wrapped in kerchiefs beneath their caps - can be seen moving through the blistering heat, directing vehicles and occasionally whistling. “Can’t help it.
