A fire that broke out in the cellar of a commercial building on Road No. 10 in Banjara Hills on Saturday morning triggered a nearly six-hour firefighting and rescue operation, with 11 people evacuated from the premises.The fire call was received at 6.36 a.m., following which six fire tenders, including vehicles from Amberpet, Jubilee Hills, Annapurna, Secunderabad and Gowliguda, besides a Bronto Skylift, were rushed to the spot. Around 30 firefighters were involved in the operation.District Fire Officer T. Venkanna said the building comprised a cellar, ground floor and six upper floors. The cellar was filled with dense smoke, prompting firefighters to use smoke exhausters and protective masks while tackling the flames.Two electric bikes parked in the cellar were completely gutted, while a van of a media house was partially damaged. A carton containing liquor bottles in the cellar was also destroyed in the fire.The ground floor and two other floors of the building housed a vernacular news channel, while the upper floors had a hotel. Firefighters evacuated 11 people from the building as a precautionary measure.The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained and was being assessed by fire officials. Published - August 08, 2026 07:56 pm IST