Gulzar Houz fire accident: Pearl traders’ legacy burnt to ashes, 17 from three generations killed
On Sunday (May 18, 2025) morning, Charminar looked as usual, and the usual noise of shutters opening filled the air. Nearby, people were having their first chai of the day. All this was happening just a stone’s throw from the Modi family home where 17 people died of fire.
For decades, the Modis had been an integral part of this locality —veteran pearl traders who ran the well-known M. Poonamchand Jewellers and Pearls.
Over the past four to five decades, they opened multiple shops that lined the street, and behind these stores lay their home, accessed through a narrow, dimly lit lane barely noticeable from the road.
It opened into a central courtyard with a skylight, surrounded by rooms on two floors secured with antique cement railings, each one housing members of three generations. On any other day, it was a picture of joint-family resilience. On Sunday (May 18, 2025), it stood hollowed out by fire.
Around 6 a.m., the family woke up to thick, black clouds of smoke engulfing the house. Within minutes, the cries drew residents out of their homes and onto the street. Some filmed the scene in shock, others stood rooted. Ambulances, fire tenders and police patrol vehicles zoomed past the lane, breaking the morning calm.
The Modi family had returned home around 11 p.m. on Saturday (May 17, 2025) after a gathering at elder son Govind’s house at Attapur. He had urged them to stay the night, but they chose to return home.
Lived for 50 years
“The family has lived there for nearly 50 years. It’s a large joint family —about 20 people, including elderly and children. These days, the sisters were also home with their children for summer vacations. The house doesn’t look that big from the outside, but many lived together under that roof,” said Syed Iqbal, a bangle seller and family friend for over two decades.
Eye-witnesses said that some of the family members managed to escape, only to return inside to help others. They never came back. Trapped by thick smoke and heat, with only one narrow stairway leading upward — and no alternate escape — the family had little chance. Bikes parked at the entrance provided more fuel to the inferno. By the time fire-fighters arrived, 17 members, including children and elders, had succumbed to the smoke.
“Pankaj was the eldest son — he felt responsible for everyone,” said Vishnu, another acquaintance. “He made it out once, went to get help, but went back in. He fought till the end. But he died of asphyxiation… along with the children, the elders. All of them. To die like that, struggling for breath in your own home, is unthinkable.”
Even as smoke still lingered in the alley, crowds gathered, many too stunned to speak. Businessmen from across the Charminar zone paused their morning routines. Long-time customers, neighbours, and old associates turned up in disbelief, looking around, with eyes longing for clarity. By afternoon, relatives from across the city began arriving in waves.
Soot and silence
The Modi house is now just a scorched frame, its rooms filled with soot and silence. A faint black smear above the entrance is all that hints at what unfolded inside. As the family prepared for the final rites at the Puranapul crematorium, the city police cordoned off the area, as investigation continues.
