<p>A rich portion of the Hyderabad-Secunderabad twin cities' history and heritage went up in flames in the wee hours of Sunday, when a gigantic fire gutted the main edifice of the iconic Secunderabad Club.</p>.<p>A colonial era structure with 140 years of history and a heritage tag, the club is frequented by the who’s who of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.</p>.<p>In the complaint to police, club's president Raghuram Reddy pegged the loss at over Rs 25 crore, while its crestfallen members rued that the cultural loss suffered is much more.</p>.<p>The club, established in 1878, sits on a 22-acre lush green expanse in the heart of the city and, according to a member, served as a safe, secure, comfortable hangout for its members and families, especially during the pandemic.</p>.<p>The engulfing fire, shocking visuals of which Hyderabadis (and Secunderabadis) woke up to on a cold, moody winter day, took over five hours and several fire tenders to be extinguished completely.</p>.<p>The imposing facade "Colonnade" housing the colonial style bars, elegant lounges, management committee offices is ruined.</p>.<p>“Our association with the club is four generations old and I have been visiting the place since when I was a kid. My favorite spot and piece – a wooden couch my (late) father Sreeram Bhoopal, a retired IAS officer, used to relax in after his lunch is also gone. It is a great loss to not only Hyderabad but the country's heritage. And this is a major personal tragedy for us,” Anuradha Reddy (73), Hyderabad chapter convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage told DH.</p>.<p>Fire officials said the flames spread rapidly as the ground plus two storeyed structure was mainly built of wood. A wooden staircase inside was also destroyed but the fire was stopped from spreading to other buildings in the premises.</p>.<p>Preliminary reason is stated as an electricity short circuit after a spell of rain on Saturday night. However, conspiracy theories are afloat like "disputes between Defense Estates and club management over addition of new structures, and an issue over widening of a road adjacent to the club."</p>.<p>“We have no reason, as of now, to suspect any sabotage,” M Mattaiah, inspector, Maredpally told DH.</p>.<p>Interestingly, the flames spread unnoticed by the club's staff till they reached the roof. Their shines, according to the inspector, were spotted over the green canopy from afar by a police patrol team on the main road which reported it at about 3:15 AM. Fire engines reached the spot at 3:30 AM.</p>.<p>A probe under a senior police official has been initiated, with necessary support from the electricity and fire departments.</p>.<p>“Several buildings in Hyderabad – from the Nizam, and the British time, were built with proper ventilation and were naturally cool even in the summers. But in the name of modernisation additions like ACs and a web of wirings are added. My observation is in general, not about the club,” said a member, not wishing to be named.</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>A rich portion of the Hyderabad-Secunderabad twin cities' history and heritage went up in flames in the wee hours of Sunday, when a gigantic fire gutted the main edifice of the iconic Secunderabad Club.</p>.<p>A colonial era structure with 140 years of history and a heritage tag, the club is frequented by the who’s who of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.</p>.<p>In the complaint to police, club's president Raghuram Reddy pegged the loss at over Rs 25 crore, while its crestfallen members rued that the cultural loss suffered is much more.</p>.<p>The club, established in 1878, sits on a 22-acre lush green expanse in the heart of the city and, according to a member, served as a safe, secure, comfortable hangout for its members and families, especially during the pandemic.</p>.<p>The engulfing fire, shocking visuals of which Hyderabadis (and Secunderabadis) woke up to on a cold, moody winter day, took over five hours and several fire tenders to be extinguished completely.</p>.<p>The imposing facade "Colonnade" housing the colonial style bars, elegant lounges, management committee offices is ruined.</p>.<p>“Our association with the club is four generations old and I have been visiting the place since when I was a kid. My favorite spot and piece – a wooden couch my (late) father Sreeram Bhoopal, a retired IAS officer, used to relax in after his lunch is also gone. It is a great loss to not only Hyderabad but the country's heritage. And this is a major personal tragedy for us,” Anuradha Reddy (73), Hyderabad chapter convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage told DH.</p>.<p>Fire officials said the flames spread rapidly as the ground plus two storeyed structure was mainly built of wood. A wooden staircase inside was also destroyed but the fire was stopped from spreading to other buildings in the premises.</p>.<p>Preliminary reason is stated as an electricity short circuit after a spell of rain on Saturday night. However, conspiracy theories are afloat like "disputes between Defense Estates and club management over addition of new structures, and an issue over widening of a road adjacent to the club."</p>.<p>“We have no reason, as of now, to suspect any sabotage,” M Mattaiah, inspector, Maredpally told DH.</p>.<p>Interestingly, the flames spread unnoticed by the club's staff till they reached the roof. Their shines, according to the inspector, were spotted over the green canopy from afar by a police patrol team on the main road which reported it at about 3:15 AM. Fire engines reached the spot at 3:30 AM.</p>.<p>A probe under a senior police official has been initiated, with necessary support from the electricity and fire departments.</p>.<p>“Several buildings in Hyderabad – from the Nizam, and the British time, were built with proper ventilation and were naturally cool even in the summers. But in the name of modernisation additions like ACs and a web of wirings are added. My observation is in general, not about the club,” said a member, not wishing to be named.</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
