Hyderabad: A Manikonda washing machine fire triggered concern over emergency response times after residents alleged firefighters took about 55 minutes to reach the house. The incident occurred at Tirumala Hills near Golden Temple in Manikonda.
According to local residents, a washing machine inside a house suddenly exploded. Subsequently, flames spread rapidly and caused a major fire. Residents said they immediately alerted the fire services after noticing the blaze.
However, they alleged that fire personnel reached the location only after about 55 minutes. The delay prompted residents to question the fire personnel about the time taken to reach the affected house.
Manikonda washing machine fire raises jurisdiction questions
According to residents, fire personnel said they had travelled from the Financial District, which caused the delay. Locals then questioned why firefighters had not been dispatched from Film Nagar or Golconda, which they considered closer options.
Fire personnel cited jurisdictional boundaries as the reason, according to the residents. They clarified that the Manikonda area fell under the jurisdiction of the Gachibowli fire station.
However, residents questioned whether jurisdictional rules should determine the response when a fire required immediate intervention. They asked who would bear responsibility if such delays resulted in loss of life or extensive property damage.
The Manikonda washing machine fire therefore led residents to demand changes in the way emergency teams were deployed. Residents urged senior officials to immediately review the existing jurisdiction rules governing fire service responses.
They demanded that the nearest available firefighters respond to emergencies instead of relying strictly on station boundaries. According to them, proximity to an incident should take priority when authorities dispatch fire personnel.
Locals argued that such a system could reduce response times during serious fires and other emergencies. They also expressed anger over the delay reported during the Tirumala Hills incident.
The source material did not specify whether anyone suffered injuries in the fire. It also did not provide details about the extent of property damage. No response from senior fire department officials on the residents’ demand was included in the supplied information.