News Analysis India

Tag: hospital fire

  • Smoke, cries, panic at Ahmednagar hospital as fire engulfed ICU; most victims senior citizens

    By PTI

    PUNE: Fire brigade personnel had hard time dousing the fire at the ICU of the Ahmednagar civil hospital in Maharashtra on Friday morning as they could not enter through the main entrance due to smoke, and the windows had grills over them.

    A fire audit had been carried out at the hospital, but all necessary systems were not in place for want of funds, an official claimed. The blaze claimed 11 lives. Most of the patients were senior citizens, and many of them were on ventilator or oxygen, which made the rescue operation more tricky.

    ALSO READ | Maharashtra: One more blaze, same old woes as Covid patients die in hospitals

    Amid panic, cries and chaotic scenes, fire brigade personnel broke the window panes and began dousing the flames using water canons, said a civic fire official whose team was the first to reach the spot after the blaze started around 11 am. About 20 coronavirus patients were undergoing treatment in the ICU, he said.

    There were 15 patients on ventilator or oxygen. “Saving them was the priority. But due to their critical condition, to remove the oxygen support and bring them out was a tough decision,” he said.

    “After discussion, we decided to bring them out anyhow and later put them back on oxygen or other support systems,” he added.

    ALSO READ: 11 Covid patients killed in fire at ICU ward in Maharashtra hospital

    There was smoke everywhere, and a senior fire brigade official said that rather than flames, the smoke might have proven more lethal. Most of those who died were aged between 65 to 83, according to hospital officials.

    After a devastating blaze at a COVID-19 hospital in Nashik earlier this year, a fire audit had been carried out at this hospital.

    Shankar Misal, Chief Fire officer of Ahmednagar municipal corporation, said they rushed two fire tankers immediately when the call came.

    “The fire was not that big, but there was smoke all over the place. The patients who died in the incident possibly suffocated due to the smoke and heat inside the ICU,” he said.

    After the recent fire audit, the hospital had been asked to install an effective fire-fighting system including a pipeline and sprinkler system, he said. But the work was incomplete due to “want of funds”, though the hospital had fire extinguishers, he said.

  • Maharashtra: One more blaze, same old woes as Covid patients die in hospitals

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The fire in the ICU of a hospital in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district is one more in a series of devastating blazes in the state, claiming lives of coronavirus patients.

    Eleven Covid patients being treated in the ICU died in the blaze in the district hospital at Ahmednagar on Saturday.

    On April 23 this year, when the second wave of the pandemic was at its peak, 13 Covid patients died as fire engulfed the ICU of the Vijay Vallabh Hospital in Virar, around 60 km from Mumbai.

    There were 90 patients in the hospital, 18 of them in the ICU, when the fire broke out after a blast in the AC unit. The dead included six women and eight men.

    Ten coronavirus patients died in a fire at a hospital in the eastern suburb of Bhandup in Mumbai on March 26. The fire broke out in Dreams Mall, which housed a Covid-designated hospital.

    It raged for over 40 hours. The dead included those on ventilator support. As many as 24 Covid patients on life support died at the civic hospital in Nashik on April 21 after a leak in the medical oxygen tank.

    The leakage from an oxygen tank caused disruption in oxygen supply for around 30 minutes, which led to the deaths of patients who were on oxygen support. All the victims were on ventilators and in need of constant oxygen supply. Around 150 patients were either oxygen-dependent or on ventilators.

    The year began on a tragic note when 10 infants died in a fire at a special new-born care unit of the Bhandara district hospital on January 9. Seventeen infants, aged one to three months, were in the ward at the time of the tragedy.

    A probe panel had suggested that trained engineers should be employed at government hospitals that mainly rely on the public works department (PWD) for maintenance work.

    The six-member committee, comprising health officials, electrical engineers and fire officials, found that the fire in the sick newborn care unit (SNCU) of the Bhandara district general hospital spread from a radiant warmer and electrical wiring system connected to it in the “outborn section”.

    On April 28, four patients were killed after a fire broke out at the private Prime Criticare Hospital at Kausa in Mumbra locality near Thane. The hospital had no Covid patients. In April this year, a major fire broke out in a building housing a private Covid care centre in Chandwad town in Nashik district.

    Around 22 patients admitted at the facility were shifted to the sub-district hospital in the town as a precaution.

  • News of loss of lives in fire at Ahmednagar hospital is painful: Rahul Gandhi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said it was painful to see the loss of lives following a fire at a hospital in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra and urged party workers to help in relief work.

    He also sent his condolences to the families of those killed in the fire. At least 10 coronavirus patients were killed and one person suffered serious burn injuries after a major fire broke out in the ICU of the district civil hospital in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar city on Saturday, officials said.

    The blaze erupted around 11 am in the intensive care unit (ICU), where 20 COVID-19 patients were undergoing treatment, they said. “The news of fire in Ahmednagar hospital is painful. My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I appeal to Congress workers to help in the relief work,” the former Congress president said in a post on Facebook.

  • Maharashtra CM orders probe into Ahmednagar hospital fire that killed 10 Covid-19 patients

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday ordered an in-depth inquiry into the fire at Ahmednagar civil hospital, which claimed the lives of 10 COVID-19 patients.

    Expressing grief over the tragedy, Thackeray directed the administration to ensure that those responsible for it get strict punishment.

    The blaze erupted in the ICU of the Ahmednagar hospital around 11 am on Saturday and killed 10 patients, who were undergoing treatment against coronavirus. It also left one patient critical, officials said.

    On learning about the incident, Thackeray spoke to district guardian minister Hassan Mushrif and state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte, and asked them to ensure that other patients admitted there should get proper treatment without any disturbance, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

    “The CM said the probe will be done by the district collector and the report should be submitted to the government,” it said.

  • 18 COVID patients die in hospital fire at Gujarat’s Bharuch, CM announces Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia

    By PTI
    BHARUCH (GUJARAT): At least 18 coronavirus patients died after a fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat’s Bharuch in the early hours on Saturday. Gut-wrenching visuals of the tragedy showed remains of some patients roasted alive on stretchers and beds.

    There were around 50 other patients at the four-storeyed Welfare Hospital when the fire broke out in the COVID-19 ward at 1 am. An official said that they were rescued by locals and firefighters. “As per information at 6.30 am, the death toll in the tragedy stood at 18. Immediately after the fire, we had confirmation of 12 deaths,” a police official told PTI.

    Gujarat| Fire breaks out at a COVID-19 care centre in Bharuch. Affected patients are being shifted to nearby hospitals. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/pq88J0eRXY
    — ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2021

    Bharuch SP Rajendrasinh Chudasama said that the 12 patients in the COVID-19 ward died due to the fire and resultant smoke. It is not clear if the remaining six also died in the Welfare hospital or while being shifted to other hospitals.

    The COVID-19 designated hospital is situated on the Bharuch-Jambusar highway, around 190 km from the state capital Ahmedabad and is being run by a trust. The official said that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

    He added that the fire was controlled within an hour and around 50 patients were rescued by locals as well as firefighters, a fire official said. They were shifted to nearby hospitals. Several vehicles of the district police also reached the spot to ensure that law and order remain under control.

    A relative of a patient who was shifted to the civil hospital here was seen searching for the case file in a heap of waste dumped after the fire. She said that she was looking for the case file so that doctors at the hospital where he was taken could begin his treatment immediately.

    ભરૂચની હોસ્પિટલમાં લાગેલી આગની દુર્ઘટનામાં જીવ ગુમાવનારા દર્દીઓ, ડૉક્ટરો અને હોસ્પિટલના સ્ટાફ પ્રત્યે શોકની લાગણી વ્યક્ત કરું છું. રાજ્ય સરકાર દુર્ઘટનામાં મૃત્યુ પામેલા પ્રત્યેક મૃતકોના પરિવારજનોને રૂપિયા 4 લાખની સહાય આપશે.
    — Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) May 1, 2021

    Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has expressed his condolences and has announced to provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each of the deceased. “I express my condolences to the patients, doctors and hospital staff who lost their lives in the fire accident at Bharuch Hospital. The state government will provide assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each of the victims of the accident,” tweeted Rupani.

    The Chief Minister has also directed two senior IAS officers of the state, Additional Chief Secretary for Labour and Employment Vipul Mitra and Commissioner Municipalities Rajkumar Beniwal, to immediately reach Bharuch and investigate the incident. He has also said that the state government is also taking action to hand over a judicial inquiry into the tragedy.

    (With inputs from ANI)

  • Four patients die in fire at Thane private hospital, time action by locals prevent more fatalities

    By PTI
    THANE: Four patients died after a fire broke out following short circuit at a private hospital near Thane in Maharashtra in the wee hours of Wednesday, civic officials said.

    Timely action by local people who ripped off the iron grill at the back of the hospital building to enable patients to escape saved many lives, they said.

    The patients died while being shifted to other hospitals after the blaze and not due to burns, said one official.

    They may have inhaled smoke after the fire, he added.

    The incident comes five days after 15 coronavirus patients died in a blaze in the intensive care unit of a private hospital at Virar in the adjoining Palghar district.

    Wednesday’s fire broke out at the Prime Criticare Hospital at Kausa-Mumbra locality at 3.40 am, the official said.

    There were no coronavirus patients in the hospital, he added.

    Three fire engines and five ambulances were rushed to the spot.

    The blaze has been extinguished, the official said.

    Twenty patients including six in the intensive care unit of the hospital were evacuated, he said.

    Maharashtra minister and local MLA Jitendra Awhad told reporters at the scene that the fire destroyed the first floor of the hospital.

    The family of each deceased will be given a compensation of Rs five lakh and those injured will get Rs one lakh each, he added.

    A high-level enquiry committee has been constituted to go into the cause of the fire, the minister said.

    It will comprise officials from the Thane Municipal Corporation and also police and medical personnel.

    Deputy Municipal Commissioner Manish Joshi said that action by some locals who ripped off the grill at the backside saved many lives.

    Prima facie a short circuit in the meter box resulted in the fire, he said, adding that the ICU was not damaged.

    Farhan Ansari, a lawyer who lives across the road from the hospital, said he spotted flames and smoke around 3.30 am.

    “We got a crow bar and simply ripped off the grill at the back and pulled out some patients,” he said.

    Maharashtra has witnessed a series of deadly accidents at hospitals in the last few months.

    Twenty two COVID-19 patients on ventilator or oxygen support suffocated to death when their oxygen supply stopped suddenly due to a malfunction in the main storage at a civic hospital in Nashik last week.

    A fire broke out in Mumbai’s Dreams Mall, which housed a Covid-designated hospital, in the intervening night of March 25-26.

    The fire, which raged for over 40 hours, claimed nine lives, including those of patients on ventilator support.

    Ten infants died in a fire at a special newborn care unit of the Bhandara district hospital in the state on January 9.

    Seventeen infants, aged one to three months, were in the ward at the time of the tragedy.

    In October last year, two patients died while being shifted after a fire broke out at a private hospital in Mumbai’s Mulund suburb.

    Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, told reporters he had ordered the Municipal Commissioner to carry out fire, oxygen and electrical audit of all the hospitals in the city limits.

    Healthcare workers, police as well as the civic staff are under great stress for the last one year, but still we will ensure such an incident does not recur, the minister said.

    Mumbra police said as of now a case of accidental deaths has been registered and further probe is on.

  • Four patients die in fire at Thane private hospital

    By PTI
    THANE: Four patients died after a fire broke out at a private hospital near Thane in Maharashtra in the wee hours of Wednesday, a civic official said.

    The patients died while being shifted to other hospitals after the blaze and not due to burns, the official said. They may have inhaled smoke after the fire, he added.

    The incident comes five days after 15 coronavirus patients died in a blaze in the intensive care unit of a private hospital at Virar in the adjoining Palghar district.

    Wednesday’s fire broke out at the Prime Criticare Hospital at Kausa-Mumbra locality at 3.40 am, the official said.

    There were no coronavirus patients in the hospital, he added.

    Three fire engines and five ambulances were rushed to the spot. The blaze has been extinguished, the official said. Twenty patients including six in the intensive care unit of the hospital were evacuated, he said.

    Maharashtra minister and local MLA Jitendra Awhad told reporters at the scene that the fire destroyed the first floor of the hospital.

    Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has been informed of the tragedy, he said.

    The family of each deceased will be given a compensation of Rs. five lakh and those injured will get Rs one lakh each, he added. A high-level enquiry committee has been constituted to go into the cause of the fire, the minister said.

    It will comprise officials from the Thane Municipal Corporation and also police and medical personnel, he added.

    Twenty two COVID-19 patients on ventilator or oxygen support suffocated to death when their oxygen supply stopped suddenly due to a malfunction in the main storage at a civic hospital in Nashik last week.

    A fire broke out in Mumbai’s Dreams Mall, which housed a Covid-designated hospital, in the intervening night of March 25-26.

    The fire, which raged for over 40 hours, claimed nine lives, including those of patients on ventilator support. Ten infants died in a fire at a special newborn care unit of the Bhandara district hospital in the state on January 9.

    Seventeen infants, aged one to three months, were in the ward at the time of the tragedy.

    In October last year, two patients died while being shifted after a fire broke out at a private hospital in Mumbai’s Mulund suburb.

  • Major fire at Nagpur Covid-19 hospital kills four, many injured

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: Four people died while several others were injured in a major fire at Well Treat Multispeciality hospital in Nagpur’s Wadi on late Friday evening.

    The Well Treat Multispeciality hospital got 30 beds for Covid-19 patients. However, when a short circuit in the air conditioner caused the fire only 28 coronavirus patients were admitted to the hospital. Out of the 28,12 were in ICU and the rest in normal wards.

    Four people died in a major fire incident at Well Treat Multispeciality Hospital, Nagpur. Due to short circuit at AC circuit, the fire caused killing four people and injuring several. It was 30 beds Covid hospital. Remaining patients shifted in other hospitals @NewIndianXpress
    — Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) April 9, 2021

    The injured patients were shifted to a nearby hospital for further treatment. According to an eye witness, when the AC caught fire, the patients who were directly below it got alarmed and alerted others. But the flames spread to other parts of the hospital killing four people.  

    Among the injured, four people are facing serious respiratory problems. 

    “Pained to know about the hospital fire incident at Wadi in Nagpur. I spoke to Nagpur Collector and was told that all the necessary assistance is being provided to the affected. Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. Praying for speedy recovery of the injured,” Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA from Nagpur said in a tweet.

    नागपुरातील वाडी येथे एका रुग्णालयाला आग लागल्याची घटना कळली.नागपूर जिल्हाधिकाऱ्यांशी या घटनेसंदर्भात चर्चा केली असून सर्व ती मदत केली जात असल्याचे त्यांनी सांगितले.या दुर्दैवी घटनेत मृत्युमुखी पडलेल्यांच्या कुटुंबीयांसोबत माझ्या संवेदना आहेत.#NagpurFire
    — Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 9, 2021

    Saddened by the hospital fire in Nagpur. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. Praying that the injured recover at the earliest.
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2021

    नागपुर के एक अस्पताल में आग लगने के समाचार से अत्यंत दुःखी हूँ। मैं दुःख की इस घड़ी में मृतकों के परिजनों के प्रति अपनी गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूँ व ईश्वर से घायलों के शीघ्र ही स्वस्थ होने की प्रार्थना करता हूँ।
    — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 9, 2021

  • 80 including 62 COVID-19 patients rescued as blaze engulfs two floors of Ujjain hospital

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL:  As many as 80 patients, including 62 COVID-19 patients, trapped in a major fire at a private hospital in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, were rescued by the fire and rescue brigade and police personnel on Sunday.

    Four of these patients (all of them critical COVID-19 patients under treatment on oxygen support) either sustained burn injuries or worsened their health condition on inhaling smoke emanating from the fire. They were shifted to the Guru Nanak Hospital nearby.

    “While two of them are stated to be out of danger, two others, both elderly women aged between 75 and 85 years, were rushed to Indore after their condition started worsening further,” Ujjain district chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr Mahavir Khandelwal told The New Indian Express.

    “The fire was triggered due to an electric short circuit at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Patidar Hospital’s first floor,” he added.

    The Ujjain additional SP (ASP) Amrendra Singh said the fire happened at around 12 noon and spread to the second floor also.

    “Within 15-20 minutes, all 80 patients at the hospital, including 62 COVID-19 patients were rescued alive out of the hospital by the fire brigade and police personnel,” Singh said.

    Visuals of the incident showed cops and fire-fighters breaking the windows and doors of the hospital on the first and second floors to rescue the trapped patients.

    All the 80 patients were shifted to adjoining Guru Nanak Hospital and other hospitals of Ujjain subsequently. According to Singh, a joint team of police, fire services and the municipal corporation has been constituted to probe the incident. 

  • Bhandara hospital tragedy: Parents claim no doctor or nurse was present when fire broke out

    By PTI
    BHANDARA: Many parents whose newborn babies were among those dead in the Bhandara hospital fire have blamed the staff there for dereliction of duty.

    Ten babies died after the fire broke out on Saturday at the Special Newborn Care Unit of the four-storeyed district hospital in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district town, about 900 km from the state capital Mumbai.

    Kin of Geeta and Vishwanath Behere, whose two month- old daughter was among the 10 newborn babies who perished in the blaze, blamed the hospital authorities for dereliction of duty.

    They claimed that no doctor or nurse was present in the unit when fire broke out and blamed the hospital administration for the tragedy and sought action against those responsible.

    Vandana Sidam from Ravanwadi in Bhandara district gave birth to a girl at Pahela primary health centre on January 3.

    The baby was shifted to the district hospital unit as its weight was below normal.

    Family members of Vandana, whose husband was working in Pune when the tragedy happened, have blamed the hospital authorities for the fire and sought action against officials who they claim ignored safety norms.

    Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who has ordered a probe into the incident, is scheduled to visit Bhandara on Sunday and meet hospital officials and parents of the victims.

    A district official said the fire broke out around 1.30 am. At the time, there were two nurses and a helper in the children’s ward and they immediately raised an alarm. The fire brigade was called out and before it arrived, staffers tried to rescue the children and managed to save seven infants.

    Bhandara District Health Officer Prashant Uike said the SNCU is a 36-bed ward.

    The ages of the deceased children ranged between a few days to a few months. Civil Surgeon Pramod Khandate said most newborns died due to suffocation.

    “One baby had fatal burn injuries, and two others had minor burns injuries. The rest inhaled a lot of smoke,” he said.