Mohammed Imtiyaz died while saving others in the Nampally fire
Hyderabad: On Saturday morning, Mohammed Imtiyaz kissed his little daughters, aged two and nine months, waved goodbye and set off to work, only to never return. He was one of the five people who perished in the devastating Nampally fire.
But his death was no ordinary one. He died saving others, trapped in the cellar.
On the fateful day, 28-year-old Imitaz woke up, had his breakfast and went to the Batcha furniture shop where he had been a worker for 12 years.
His brother, Mohammed Raheem, who has a stall at the ongoing Numaish, said, Imitaz had noticed flames and alerted the people around. He rushed out safely, but when he realised people were trapped, he hurried back in.
“He went back to the cellar and brought three individuals who were struggling to escape. But then he found out there were still people trapped in the second cellar. So he raced inside,” Raheem said.
Imitaiz was joined by a 30-year-old goods autodriver, Mohammed Habeebuddin Quadri, who worked in the market for 35 years.
Neither man made it alive.
“When I came here, there was complete panic and chaos. I rushed inside the building in search of my brother. I could not find him. I waited till 11 am (January 25) along with Imitiaz’s wife. Later, we found out he died. His body was pulled out from the cellar along with Habeebuddin,” an inconsolable Raheem said.
Imitiaz had married three years ago. He lived in the Subhanpura locality in Aghapura with his little family.
Along with Imitiaz and Habeebuddin, three others, sweeper woman Bebi and two children – Pranith and Akhil – also died in the fire.
Habeebuddin Quadri lived at Owaisi Hills, Mustafanagar, near Shastripuram, Aramgarh.
The fire was brought under control after nearly 21 hours. Even after that, thick smoke billowed from the building, making the rescue operation difficult.
Telangana Fire and Disaster Response Director General Vikram Singh Mann pointed out illegal storage of furniture in the cellar, and the blaze may have been caused either by a short circuit or a cigarette. “Chemicals were stored in the cellar, further raising the danger. The shop had not obtained any mandatory fire safety permits,” he said.
He said the department will initiate a criminal case against the shop owner, Satish, and take strict legal action. “We will take steps once a detailed inspection of the building and nearby structures is conducted,” he said.
The state government also announced Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia for the family of the deceased.
After the post-mortem, the bodies were handed to family members. The burial rites of both bodies were conducted in the evening.
Imitiaz is gone. His death has left the family devastated, and his little daughters will never again feel their father’s warmth.
This post was last modified on January 25, 2026 8:34 pm