Over 19 hours after a major fire broke out at a furniture store in Nampally, firefighters continued operations on Sunday (January 25, 2026), as flames and smoke persisted in the building’s cellar, where five people are feared trapped.
Five feared trapped as fire engulfs furniture store in Nampally; eyewitnesses recall horror
Fire officials said the biggest challenge remains accessing the two-level cellar, spread across the -1 and -2 floors, which is packed with stored goods and has limited entry points. Thick smoke continues to escape from below ground, indicating that pockets of fire are still active.
“There are only two access points to the cellar - one staircase inside the shop, which had already been blocked by the owners, and a narrow ramp from the outside,” said Hyderabad Fire Officer-II Ajmeera Sreedas. He added that shop owners and workers were using the ramp to move and store material inside the cellar. “When the fire broke out, the material stored near the ramp caught fire, collapsed and completely blocked the entry,” he said.
According to the official, after the fire started, two people allegedly rushed into the cellar through the ramp in an attempt to rescue three others who were believed to be stuck inside. However, before they could exit, burning material fell and sealed the narrow passage, trapping all five inside the cellar area. The official added that identification of the bodies, if recovered, will be extremely challenging, given the intensity and duration of the fire.
