Residents of a residential building at Asif Nagar crossroads spent Thursday (May 14, 2026) afternoon standing on the roadside watching smoke pour out of the ground floor furniture showroom beneath their flats.

The blaze at M.J. Classic Furniture Shop, a cellar-plus-ground-plus-three-floor structure, led to the evacuation and rescue of around 40 people living in nine flats in the building. Fire officials said the incident once again exposed the dangerous and illegal practice of operating commercial establishments from residential buildings in Hyderabad.

According to the Fire Department, the fire call was received at 1.34 p.m., following which teams from Amberpet and Gowliguda fire stations rushed to the spot. Preliminary probe revealed that the fire originated from an electrical short circuit in the false ceiling of the showroom.

The incident comes less than five months after a fire at Batchas Furniture Castle in Nampally claimed five lives, including two children, following a firefighting operation that lasted more than 20 hours.

In March, another fire at a furniture shop operating from temporary sheds in Pragathi Nagar, Bachupally, spread rapidly to nearly 15 adjacent units and reduced them to ashes.

By the time firefighters arrived at Asif Nagar, thick smoke had engulfed portions of the building. Residents, including children and elderly people, were panicking and figuring their way down the staircase after noticing smoke spreading upwards from the ground floor.

Officials said the owner and workers initially attempted to douse the flames themselves using nearly 15 fire extinguishers before informing the Fire Department. However, the fire intensified rapidly because of the combustible material stored inside the showroom.

A negligence case has been booked against the owner, Mohammed Shakeel, who was also residing in one of the flats.

Fire officials said the timing of the incident prevented a larger tragedy. “Because it was daytime, residents noticed the smoke early and managed to come out. At night, many people may not even realise a fire has started until smoke fills the rooms,” a senior Fire Department official said, recalling the Gulzar Houz tragedy that claimed 17 lives.

Under provisions of the National Building Code and fire safety regulations, furniture godowns, carpentry workshops, foam storage units, and other highly combustible commercial activities are not permitted to operate inside residential buildings without fire safety clearances and approved occupancy permissions. Furniture establishments are considered high-risk because they store highly inflammable material such as wood, foam, paint, thinner and adhesives, allowing fire to spread rapidly and generate toxic smoke.

“These establishments continue operating in densely populated areas without No Objection Certificate from the Fire Department and proper licensing, posing a serious threat to residents,” the official said. “Continuous inspections and stricter action against violators are necessary, otherwise these incidents will keep repeating.”