John 'Jackie' Smyth, aged eighty-nine, was remembered fondly by his community in Castlepollard as a 'friendly character' who left a lasting impression on everyone he met.
The accident happened due to a short circuit and many people have died, federal minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader G Kishan Reddy told reporters at the site of the accident. The director general of Telangana fire services, Y Nagi Reddy, told reporters that 21 people were in the three-story building when the fire started on the ground floor. 17 people, who were shifted to the hospital in an unconscious state, could not survive. The staircase was very narrow, which made escape difficult.