Massive Fire Guts KSR Shopping Complex in Ameerpet Damaging Goods Worth Crores

A massive fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at the KSR Shopping Complex in Maitrivanam, Ameerpet, gutting the two-storey commercial building and damaging goods worth crores of rupees. Located just 100 metres from the Ameerpet Metro Station in Hyderabad, the blaze triggered widespread panic in the densely packed commercial hub. No loss of life or injuries were reported in the incident.

The KSR Shopping Complex is a prominent landmark in Ameerpet's Maitrivanam area, which is widely known for hosting dozens of garment shops, mobile phone and laptop repair stores, furniture showrooms, and software coaching institutes. The nearby Ameerpet Metro Station serves as a major interchange junction between the metro's red and blue lines.

According to Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, the fire is believed to have started in a helmet shop before quickly spreading to the neighbouring KSR Fashions, a large garment store filled with piles of clothes. The flames then rapidly spread to other adjoining shops. Alert shopkeepers, police, and fire personnel managed to safely evacuate everyone from the complex before the fire engulfed the structure.

Firefighting efforts faced significant challenges due to the design of the commercial complex. K Srikanth, a fire official, explained that the narrow and long layout of the shops prevented water jets from the first batch of fire engines from reaching the source of the flames. "When we doused the fire at one place, clothes in other shops caught fire again due to the heat," Srikanth said. Firefighters eventually brought in sky lifts to control and extinguish the blaze.

The damage to the commercial complex was extensive. The entire two-storey KSR Fashions showroom was gutted, and the Helmet Bazaar shop, which stocked thousands of helmets including imported models costing up to Rs 20,000, was completely destroyed. At least 20 shops were affected by the fire, including a toy shop, paint and furniture showrooms, six private travel agencies, and small scanning and photocopy shops.

The intense flames and thick black smoke also reached a Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) pillar directly opposite the shopping complex. Fire officials have instructed HMRL authorities to conduct an inspection of the pillar to check for any structural damage. Additionally, the incident led to massive traffic congestion on the Ameerpet main road, causing gridlock throughout the surrounding areas.