22 dead in Bhubaneswar hospital fire, PM orders transfer of injured to AIIMS

Mangalore Today News Network

Bhubaneswar, Oct 18, 2016: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik ordered an investigation into the fire that broke out at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Monday night, which killed at least 22 people.

Revenue divisional commissioner, AB Ota, confirmed that an inquiry order would be filed, and a report submitted on the accident.

A fire, suspected to have started from a short circuit in the dialysis ward, spread quickly through the second floor of the SUM Medical College Hospital in Bhubaneswar, trapping people inside.

Firefighters struggled to carry out rescue operations because of the smoke, and eventually broke the windows to get people out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the bereaved and offered support to the State’s operations.

“Spoke to CM Naveen Patnaik about the distressing hospital fire tragedy. Assured all possible support from the Centre. (Also) spoke to (Union health) minister JP Nadda and asked him to facilitate transfer of all those injured to AIIMS. Hope the injured recover quickly,” Modi posted on Twitter.

More than 30 were seriously injured in the fire, that began raging around 7:30pm; at the time, there were seven patients with ventilators in the dialysis ward and another 11 patients in the ICU.

Seven fire tending vehicles were immediately pressed into service while 15 ambulances shifted the injured to nearby hospitals.

According to officials, 14 patients were ‘brought dead’ at the Capital Hospital, and eight more to the AMRI Hospital.

In many cases, suffocation from the smoke further worsened the condition of patients.

Hospitals have been directed to take patients from SUM hospital.