More than 20 firemen battled for six hours and pressed into service over 45 water tankers to douse a fire that broke out in Reliance Fresh outlet at Kondapur on Sunday morning.
Flames erupted in the outlet located in the ground floor of four-storeyed building around 6.30 a.m.
Soon after noticing the flames, residents staying in the upper floors scampered to safety using the staircase while others came down with the help of ladders. They could not use the lift as power supply was disconnected, officials said.
As the shop shutters were closed, the fire-fighters then broke the walls on the other side of the building and carried out the fire-fighting operation.
Storage of combustible material made it difficult for the fire-fighters to control the flames.
Filmnagar station fire officer D. Mohan Rao said they faced problems in extinguishing the flames.
Food stocks and other products along with electronic goods were stored in the outlet. “We initially started the operation with fire tenders that came from Punjagutta, Filmnagar and Gachibowli. But when we failed to put out the flames, we requisitioned for tankers from the Water Board,” he said. He cited electrical short circuit as the main reason for the fire.
“We are yet to assess the exact loss of property,” Mr. Rao said, adding that no one was injured in the incident.
