Blaze hits landmark Madina Hotel

The first floor of the 60-year-old Madina Hotel, a city landmark, was damaged in a major fire that broke out in a store adjacent to it on Monday morning.

The flames engulfed the store and gutted the New Madina Bag Works at Patthar Gatti in Charminar. By the time fire engines rushed to the spot the flames spread to the first floor of the Madina hotel, famous for its biryani, tea and, in this season, haleem.

Four fire tenders battled the flames for one-and-a-half hours before they contained the fire.

The traffic jam caused by a crowd of disaster tourists prevented the fire brigade from reaching the area in time.

A fire engine stationed at the High Court complex 500 metres was not deployed. Another from the Moghalpura fire station took over an hour to reach the spot.

The hotel stands at one of the busiest intersections in the old city, and traffic was jammed for two hours.

Police and fire department officials suspect that the fire was triggered at 11 am by a short circuit.

Nobody was injured as the fire started moments after the shops had opened for the day.

Mr G.V. Raghu, GHMC chief city planner, said he had asked officials to inspect the structural stability of the hotel. Any decision on the future of the hotel will be taken after he receives the report. “It is not in the list of historical monuments,” he said.