A huge fire broke out on January 24 afternoon at a furniture store in Nampally, Hyderabad. The store is in a ground plus three floors (G+3) building. By 9 p.m., no official report of casualties came in. But five people were feared trapped inside the building’s cellar. Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control. However, access to the building remains limited. Thick smoke covered the area, disturbing normal life. Police and fire teams launched a large rescue operation. Nearby buildings were evacuated, and traffic was restricted. The fire department received a call at 1:42 p.m. Ten fire tenders rushed to the spot. Flames had spread quickly from the cellar to upper floors, fueled by flammable materials. Firefighters, helped by people from a nearby G+4 commercial building, broke glass panes to let smoke out. They used a bronto skylift to break windows on the third and fourth floors. The area was sealed off, and traffic diverted for nearly half a kilometre. Shops, offices, and homes nearby shut down as a safety measure. Authorities asked the public to avoid Numaish exhibition and nearby roads for the day. Eyewitness Bharat Kumar said he was eating lunch when a strong smell filled the room. "I had food in my hand when the smell hit us. We could not breathe. It was terrifying," he said. He ran outside and saw the flames. Nearby office staff then evacuated. The fire spread fast because the building is close to other tight-packed furniture stores. Local resident Kumar claimed a delay in fire tender arrival. He said the fire started at 12:30 p.m., but help came close to 2:30 p.m. He also mentioned 300 mattresses delivered a day earlier may have boosted the fire. Firefighter T. Venkanna said the cellar has only one entry ramp and is full of thick smoke, making rescue tough. "It is pitch dark and heavily smoke-filled. Our teams are making continuous efforts to enter the cellar and check if anyone is trapped," he added. Officials said a complaint is yet to be registered. A case for negligence may be filed against the store owner. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Rescue work is likely to continue overnight to find the missing people.