At least eight cars and some cash was reduced to ashes in the Mahindra & Mahindra showroom blaze on Thursday night. After a three-hour firefighting operation, the fire was doused, preventing major damage to other showrooms and hotels located next to it.

According to Rangareddy District Fire Officer Shaik Khaja Karimulla, the fire erupted in the mezzanine floor of the building which stored panels, documents and other miscellaneous materials.

“The fire was caused due to a short circuit in the mezzanine floor and spread on to the paper and panels. It first reached the car parked on the ground floor and quickly gained momentum with the batteries, tyres and other cars on the ground floor,” the official explained.

The showroom closed around 9.30 p.m. and no workers were present on the premises. However, about 50-60 persons in a hotel beside the showroom were evacuated as a precaution as the wind-aided fire spread.

The incident brought traffic to a halt at one of the most congested stretches in Hyderabad until the firefighting operation was concluded around 1.30 a.m.