The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Tuesday ordered a preliminary inquiry into the fire incident at an e-scooter showroom in Secunderabad (Telangana).
Sources said, the Ministry has ordered a preliminary inquiry to ascertain the reasons behind the fire incident in the basement of the e-scooter showroom late Monday night.
One of the sources said that fire in the basement spread to a hotel on the upper floors of the building, which led to the death of 8 people and injured around seven others.
Initial investigation by the State police and the fire department points towards a short circuit while charging batteries in the basement where the electric vehicle (EV) 2-wheelers are stored. The fire seems to have spread to the generator in the basement leading to a blast. The investigation is still on-going, the same source added.
Hyderabad police on Tuesday registered a case against the owner of the building and the lodge in Secunderabad.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the next of kin of those killed in the fire will be paid ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), while ₹50,000 will be paid to those injured. Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali visited the hotel and announced an ex-gratia of ₹3 lakh for the families of the deceased.