At least nine people were killed and at least three injured in a huge fire at a four-story building in Bazar Ghat neighbourhood of Hyderabad, India, on Monday 13 November.

The blaze apparently broke out in the 'godown' (a storage space) on the ground floor of the building.

According to Hyderabad's Central Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Venkateshwar Rao, the blaze is thought to have been triggered at around 9:30am by a spark while someone repaired a car on the stilt floor below the rest of the building.

Several drums of flammable chemicals were being stored there and the sparks spread to them, causing the fire.

The fire then quickly spread to the rest of the building.

Some people on higher floors were evacuated through windows and the fire was eventually brought under control, but not until it had caused several fatalities, including seven members of one family, killed by asphyxiation.

Police are continuing their investigation.

At least nine people have been killed and several have been injured after a massive fire broke out at a chemical godown on the first floor of a four-story building at Bazarghat, Nampally area of Telangana's Hyderabad on Monday. Three others were injured in the incident and were shifted to hospitals.

According to Hyderabad's Central Zone DCP Venkateshwar Rao, the blaze was caused at around 9:30 am by a spark while repairing a car on the stilt floor, where several drums storing a chemical were also stored. The sparks spread to the chemical barrel kept in the godown and caused the fire. It is an inflammable chemical stored in fibre-plastic manufacturing. Within no time, the fire engulfed other floors of the building and caused the deaths.

The fire started on the ground floor where chemicals were kept and then spread to other floors. As per the initial assessment, the blaze was caused by a spark during a car repair. The fire has been brought under control, and rescue and cooling operations are underway. People residing in the upper stories are being evacuated through windows. Seven of a family were among the nine who died of asphyxiation. In addition to the material stored at the parking lot, similar barrels and jerry cans of chemicals and other raw materials were also stored in the warehouse area in the opposite building. The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are yet to be officially ascertained.