A fire at an EV showroom has killed 8, several injured while trying to escape

• A fire at an electric scooters showroom has killed eight people and injured several others.
• The fire reportedly began at the EV showroom and spread to a hotel above the showroom.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced compensation for the deceased and the injured.

In a tragic incident, a fire at an electric scooter showroom killed eight people and injured several others. The incident occurred late last night and affected a hotel located above the EV showroom.

While the fire reportedly began at the Ruby Electric Scooters showroom on the ground floor, it spread to the first and second floors of the Ruby Pride Luxury Hotel. The hotel reportedly had over 25 guests at the time.

According to reports, eight people have already died from asphyxiation caused by the smoke. In addition, several people have reportedly been injured with burns and other injuries while trying to escape the fire.

While the cause of the fire has not been announced yet, the officials suspect that the fire was caused by an electric scooter or a generator placed in the Ruby Electric Scooters showroom.

"Fire broke out in electric scooter recharging unit on the ground floor, smoke from which overpowered the people staying on the first and second floor," said Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand.

Two fire engines were rushed to the spot to douse the fire. The fire brigade teams reportedly rescued seven people from the hotel trapped in the fire. Locals claimed that several people jumped from the building to escape the fire.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his anguish over the incident and announced compensation for the deceased and the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

“Saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire in Secunderabad, Telangana. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be paid to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs. 50,000 would be paid to the injured,” the PMO India’s Twitter account quoted the prime minister.

“It is a very unfortunate incident. Fire brigade teams tried their best to rescue people from the lodge but due to heavy smoke, some people died. Some others were rescued from the lodge. We are probing how the incident happened," Telangana home minister Md. Mahmood Ali said.

Not the first incident at an EV showroom

This is not the first fire incident where an EV has caught on fire. Over the last few months, there have been several EV fires, including an incident in Vijaywada, which resulted in the death of a man and severe burns to his wife and daughter.

The government had tasked the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to investigate the fire incidents, and the agency found serious defects in the batteries.

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