Sixteen families had a narrow escape after a fire, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, engulfed a residential complex at Venkatreddy Nagar in IDA Bollaram in the early hours of Monday.
The incident occurred around 3 am when nearly 60 residents were asleep. One of the occupants woke up after noticing smoke and alerted others in the building.
Samdaram Dora,
who lives on the ground floor, called up residents and ensured they evacuated the building through the rear exit, helping avert a major tragedy.
All residents managed to escape safely, though four motorcycles and other valuables were gutted in the fire.
Fire personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control, preventing it from spreading to adjacent buildings.