Hyderabad: With property running in several crores reduced to ashes, the traders at the Madina & Abbas Complex where fire broke out on Sunday night, February 9, now stare at a bleak future. The traders had stocked huge merchandise in view of the approach of Ramzan month at the Hyderabad market of wholesale and retail shops dealing in textiles, readymade garments, hosiery and handlooms.
Local traders from Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra visit the Devan Devdi market where the complex is located and purchase the merchandise for their retail business.
Hyderabad shops and godowns gutted
“New stocks started arriving at the market in the last week. On the third floor, there are godowns and some retail/wholesale shops. Due to fire about 35 shops were either completely or partially gutted down,” informed a local salesman, Shahed Khan.
The Madina & Abbas Complex has 400 malgis and is a five-story building with two floors in the basement and three above ground level. “It is a busy market that witnesses thousands of footfalls during weekdays. Business turnover runs in the crores and around 2000 people work here easily,” said a salesman, Sajid Khan.
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On Monday, the business activity in the commercial complex and adjacent buildings was shut in view of firefighting operations. The salesmen working in the shops that were completely gutted are now worried about their earnings. “It will take weeks, if not months for the business to resume at the shops. The shop is completely gutted. To clear the burned material such as clothes, wooden counters and other articles it will easily take a week. Refurbishing the shop might take another two weeks,” said a salesman.
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Ironically, Imtiyaz who works as a salesman at a shop is apprehensive about the authorities allowing the shops to start. “The upper floor structures of the building got damaged due to the fire that continued for more than 12 hours. The GHMC has to declare it safe for occupation and we doubt it will happen,” said a worried Imtiyaz.
In Ramzan month, the Hyderabad traders pay a bonus to the employees that range between 50 percent and 100 percent of their salary amount.
Loss assessment and ongoing operations
The business establishment owners were busy calculating losses or assisting the firemen in dousing the fire and preventing it from spreading. Some of the businessmen came late in the night to the complex, pulled the merchandise out of the shops and managed to save it. On Monday, the merchandise was shifted out of the building. Many owners and salesmen were struggling to pull out the merchandise bags from the smoke-filled building outside.
Shops on the eastern side of the second floor and third floor of the building were damaged. The fire department officials termed the building as “another world”, after facing severe problems in fire fighting.
Efforts to curb fire
The fire, which burned down at least 40 to 50 of the 200 shops in the building, broke out at 1:30 am, and the fire department was notified at 2:15 am.
“A fire vehicle from the Salarjung Museum was immediately dispatched to the spot, followed by additional fire tenders in the early hours. A rescue tender was also sent,” said Hyderabad district fire officer Venkanna.
The total loss of property has not yet been ascertained. Due to the lack of proper access to the building, firefighting efforts were delayed. “Although there are no visible flames, the department attempting to cool the premises to prevent rekindling,” added Venkanna.
