Drones deployed to look for missing trio in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: A day after a massive fire broke out in the Deccan Knitwear Sports Accessories building complex in Nallagutta, search is still on for the three labourers who were feared dead in the inferno. As the entire cellar+ G+ five-storeyed complex was covered in thick smoke, the GHMC, Police and Fire department officials decided to use drone cameras in search operation and to find if there is any movement inside the building.

Initially, two drones were deployed where the heat was less intense. As they could not find anything, the exercise was repeated one more time before darkness descended, forcing the teams temporarily halt the operation. The three missing labourers were identified as Mohammad Waseem, (38), Mohammad Junaid, (32), and Zaheer Khan (22).

“Two drone cameras were operated. We have verified the footage and found that the major portion of ceiling has fallen down, and it is completely covered in ash. We have found no clues with regard to the missing persons. But we will continue our efforts to find some clues,” the police said.

Short circuit ruled out

Meanwhile, the Fire and Electricity department officials have no clue as to what caused the mishap. However, they ruled out that a short circuit  as the origin of the flames.The Fire department officials said that received a call at 11 am on Thursday and reached the spot by 11:03 am with 23 vehicles, including Bronto Skylift, Rescue Tenders and other fire vehicles  to extinguish the flames. Despite the difficulties they faced, including thick smoke, lack of visibility, and limited escape routes, the fire crew managed to control the blaze.

“As soon as we reached the spot, we used Bronto Sky Lift (a hydraulic platform of 54 metres) to raise it to the fourth floor where three people were spotted and they were rescued. We broke the glass windows to create space for the smoke to escape, and used smoke extractors to dispense the accumulated smoke,” said an official.

Explaining how difficult it was to carry out the rescue operation, he said: “There was no visibility in the building due to thick smoke. There was only one staircase. A second staircase or escape route was not available. There was also no proper ventilation. It was difficult to enter the building.”