Hyderabad fire tragedy: Modi family had prepared to relocate to spacious residences within months

Hyderabad: In a devastating turn of events, the family of jeweler Prahalad Modi, who lost their lives in a catastrophic fire in Hyderabad's Old City Gulzar Houz area early Sunday morning, had celebrated a housewarming ceremony just six months ago for two newly constructed homes in Upparapalli, Attapur, a rapidly developing suburb.

The Modi family had been preparing to relocate to these spacious residences within months, as their current home had become insufficient for their extended family, which included two brothers.

Interior work on the new homes was still underway, with completion expected within two months. Already one son of Prahalad Modi had moved to this new home and waiting for the entire families to move.

The fire tragically claimed 17 lives, including eight children, decimating three generations of a single family. The Modis' legacy in Hyderabad dates back approximately 150 years, when Prahalad Modi's grandfather arrived to establish a pearl business Krishna Pearls. After purchasing a building at Gulzar Houz junction, he founded what would become a respected family enterprise.

Brothers - Prahalad and Rajendra Kumar Modi - considerably expanded the business inherited from their father, Poonam Chand, earning recognition for importing premium pearls from both domestic and international markets.

Renowned for their hospitality, the family frequently hosted festivals and celebrations with relatives and friends, nurturing strong community bonds. They conducted business operations on the ground floor of their two-story building near Gulzar Houz, while the upper floors served as living quarters for the extended family, including sons and grandsons.

Constructed on a plot of just 77 square yards, the G+2 structure contained eight rooms that housed the entire family before Sunday's catastrophic fire.

"Since their current house was insufficient, they had constructed two houses in Attapur for the families of two brothers respectively with interior work still underway. The housewarming ceremony had already taken place, and they were scheduled to relocate to their new homes within a couple of months. Meanwhile, this tragic incident occurred. Theirs was a large family known to everyone in the locality. They celebrated all festivals with great enthusiasm," recalled a neighbor of the Modis.

Prahalad Modi had four children. His elder son had already moved to a newly constructed house in Attapur, while his two married daughters lived in Rajeev Nagar and Sanathnagar.

Prahalad's younger son, Pankaj Modi, lived with his father along with his wife and three children. Due to a recent leg injury, Prahalad had been confined to his home, unable to walk or venture outside.

Prahalad had invited his daughters and grandchildren for a celebration at relatives' house in Attapur. With summer vacations in progress, his two daughters stayed at the Gulzar Houz residence with their children at their father's request.

The family returned from Attapur around 10 pm on Saturday after attending the function and retired for the night around 11 pm. The tragedy struck in the early hours of Sunday morning, claiming the lives of Prahalad Modi and his wife, along with his son, two daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters.