Mon May 19 11:21:16 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A fire near Gulzar Houz in Charminar, Hyderabad, on Sunday, May 18, 2025, resulted in the deaths of seventeen members of a family. The Telangana government announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the families, while Prime Minister Modi announced ₹2 lakh from PMNRF. BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao visited the victims’ family and a condolence meeting, appealing for an increased ex gratia of ₹25 lakh per family. He also emphasized the importance of fire safety audits, functional fire extinguishers, safe wiring, and emergency preparedness through mock drills.

**News Article:**

**BRS Leader Calls for Increased Compensation After Charminar Fire Claims 17 Lives**

**Hyderabad, May 19, 2025** – Following a devastating fire near Gulzar Houz in Charminar, Hyderabad on Sunday, May 18th, which claimed the lives of seventeen members of a single family, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao is urging the government to provide increased financial assistance to the victims’ families.

While the Telangana government has announced an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh per family and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF, Rama Rao is calling for a significantly larger sum of ₹25 lakh per family.

Speaking at a condolence meeting held at Mahavir Mandir in Charminar today, Rama Rao emphasized the need for preventative measures in densely populated areas. “In densely populated areas, even a small spark can lead to a devastating tragedy,” he stated. He implored shop and warehouse owners to conduct thorough fire audits, ensure fire extinguishers are functional, and verify the safety of their wiring.

Rama Rao also called upon the government to ensure fire tenders and ambulances are fully equipped and that the public is trained to handle fire emergencies through regular mock drills throughout the year, not just during the summer months. He visited the Attapur residence of the victim’s family, offering his condolences. The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

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