Secunderabad Club blaze ravages a slice of Hyderabad’s history
The Hindu
British-era men-only bar, wooden staircase and ballroom of iconic property reduced to ashes
Only the granite pillars stood intact amid the swirling smoke and slush of overnight rain and water poured by 10 fire engines. Security staff created a barricade and stopped people from entering on Sunday morning as the city woke up to the news of 3-a.m. blaze that left the main building of Secunderabad Club in a charred hulk.
“It is unrecognisable now. It was a building with extensive use of wooden beams, and wooden staircase with Mangalore tile roof. Now, the sky is visible,” said Anuradha Reddy, a club member and historian.
Club members who visited the site in the morning informed that the burnt section included the Colonnade (the British-era men-only bar), the iconic wooden staircase, billiards and snooker room, and the ballroom. While the Colonade was filled with hunting trophies and other antiques, the blaze also destroyed an 1878 snooker table.