Hyderabad, May 18: Telangana Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Sunday visited the site of the horrific fire accident at Gulzar Houz in the Old City, where 17 people, including children, lost their lives in the early hours of the day.

Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Hyderabad DCC President Waliullah Sameer, TPCC Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin and senior officials, Shabbir Ali personally reviewed the situation and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives.

Calling the incident “highly unfortunate and deeply distressing,” Shabbir Ali said the scale of the tragedy had shaken the entire city. “It is heartbreaking that 17 innocent lives were lost, many due to suffocation caused by smoke. Among the deceased were children and women. The government stands firmly with their families,” he said.

He acknowledged the structural challenges in the Old City’s heritage zone, noting that congested lanes and close-knit buildings made rescue operations extremely difficult. “This is a historic area with dense habitation. We must now revisit safety protocols and preventive measures in such localities to avoid future tragedies,” he added.

Shabbir Ali assured that the Telangana Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, had swiftly responded to the tragedy and announced ₹5 lakh ex-gratia for the families of each deceased person. “Our government is committed to providing all necessary assistance. We are monitoring the treatment of the injured and will continue to offer full support,” he said.

The senior Congress leader also appealed to all political parties to rise above politics in such moments of grief. “This is not the time for political blame. Let us show compassion, ensure justice for the victims, and work together to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said. (eom)