HYDERABAD: President of Secunderabad Club, R Raghuram Reddy, said that voltage fluctuations due to heavy rains that lashed the city on Sunday night may have led to a short-circuit leading to the fire.
Hours after the accident, the club was cordoned off by police. The club, which hosts hundreds of people for Sunday lunch, turned into a fortress following the accident.
“It rained heavily in the wee hours of Sunday due to which the club was facing voltage fluctuations between 2am and 3am,” Reddy said. “Suddenly, a fire broke out at the main club house following which a call was made to the fire control room.”
While discussions were rife on the fire safety aspects of the club, Reddy said fire audits were being taken up half-yearly.
“This is the first time that the club has experienced a fire accident. Due to excessive wood work, the fire spread very rapidly. The bar area, where alcohol was stored, added to the fire. Following this, we will now have to use fire retardant construction material,” said Reddy.
While the club has been closed for members, the managing committee intends to begin sports activities and other services in areas unaffected in the accident.
Meanwhile, the Deccan Heritage Academy expressed its concerns over the fire accident. “I request the club’s managing committee to restore it to normal glory. I also request the state government to take steps to conserve the heritage building,” said Vedakumar Manikonda, DHA chairman.
