Major fire at Kondagattu: 30 shops destroyed, losses run into crores

A massive fire broke out shortly after midnight near the famous Kondagattu Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Jagtial district. The blaze gutted around 30 shops, causing losses estimated in crores. Most of the shops were toy stalls and small commercial outlets set up for the upcoming Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara, and many traders had stocked goods worth ₹8-10 lakh each.

According to initial reports, a short circuit may have triggered the fire. The flames spread rapidly from the Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy statue area towards the Karimnagar-Jagtial main road. By the time fire tenders reached the spot, the shops were already engulfed, leading to questions about the delay in response.

State minister Adluri Laxman Kumar termed the incident unfortunate and assured that the government would support all affected small traders who lost their shops and livelihoods overnight.

District Collector B. Satya Prasad inspected the site on Sunday morning. He reviewed the damage, the fire-control efforts and instructed officials to speed up relief measures and ensure immediate assistance to the victims.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao expressed deep anguish over the tragedy. Speaking to former Choppadandi MLA Sunkе Ravi Shankar, he inquired about ground-level damage and criticised the government for the alleged failure of fire services.

KTR said traders had invested heavily after taking loans, and the fire had destroyed their only means of livelihood. He pointed out that the Jagtial fire engine was under repair, the engine that reportedly did not function, and additional fire tenders reached only after an hour from Korutla and Karimnagar - calling it a clear case of administrative negligence.

He demanded that the state government provide ₹30 lakh compensation to each affected family, given the scale of destruction. KTR also appreciated Sunkе Ravi Shankar for reaching the spot immediately and offering ₹5,000 as emergency aid to each affected trader.

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay also reacted to the incident, calling it distressing. He said he had spoken to the Jagtial Collector, sought details of the incident and asked officials to ensure full support to those who lost their shops, while taking steps to prevent such accidents in the future.