Fire razes Manam set
Five fire tenders take an hour to douse the blaze
A major fire broke out on Monday at a film set that was used for the film Manam, in Annapurna Studios in Banjara Hills, owned by Tollywood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna. Thick smoke engulfed the area and it took five fire tenders an hour to douse the flames. There were no casualties.
A short circuit is said to have caused the fire, which damaged property worth `2 crore.
“It was a five-year-old set and luckily the fire did not spread to the surrounding areas. When we constructed it, it cost us around `2 crore,” said Nagarjuna.
According to the fire department, the fire broke out between 6 pm and 6.30 pm. “It was an unused set and the reason for it is a short circuit. There were no workers inside the film set when it caught fire,” said police inspector K Purna Chander of the Jubilee Hills police.
Ms Supriya Yarlagadda, executive producer of Annapurna Studios and granddaughter of the late thespian Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who founded of the studio, said, “We were caught unawares by the fire. Everything was soon brought under control and all precautionary measures were taken.” She added that the property was not insured.
Hyderabad traffic police took to Twitter to inform the public about the slow movement of traffic caused by the sudden fire.
According to the statistics with the Telangana State Disaster Response Force (TSDRF) and fire services department, the city has recorded 731 fire accidents in six months that claimed 17 lives.
Officials said most accidents were caused by faulty wiring and electrical short-circuits. Another disturbing trend rearing its ugly face in the city is swanky cars, developing electrical faults and catching fire, said district fire officer of Hyderabad M. Srinivas Reddy.
IT WAS a fiveyear-old set and luckily the fire did not spread to the surrounding areas. When we constructed it, it cost us around `2 crore. — Akkineni Nagarjuna Actor