Kolkata, December 10: Six owners of AMRI Hospital in south Kolkata’s Dhakuria were arrested on Friday following the massive fire in which at least 88 people have been killed. The six who have been arrested are SK Todi, RS Goenka, Ravi Todi, Manish Goenka, Prasanta Goenka and Dayananda Agarwal, and the licence of the hospital has been cancelled.
A senior Kolkata Police officer said that the six have been charged with negligence, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and attempt to culpable homicide.
Senior police officials revealed that the hospital was issued a warning in July about inadequate fire safety mechanism. Joint CP Crime, Kolkata Damayanti Sen said, “Six directors of AMRI Hospital charged under Section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 285 (Negligent conduct with respect to Fire), 34 (Common intent) of IPC. Case also registered under 11-C, 11-J & 11-L under West Bengal Fire services Act. Arrest of the 6 directors of AMRI done over FIR which was filed by Fire services Department.”
Sen added, “Hospital filed an affidavit in July stating that they will comply instructions within two months. Fire services department got the information late from Lal Bazaar Police Control Room around 4:08 am.”
All the six directors had earlier in the day surrendered before the Kolkata police at Lal Bazar Police Headquarters following the tragedy, which is perhaps the worst hospital disaster in the country.
The devastating fire which claimed the lives of 70 patients and three hospital employees reportedly started at the basement of AMRI Hospital at around 3:30 am on Friday and most of the victims died due to suffocation.
Fifty nine of the patients rescued are now admitted at different hospitals – 42 at AMRI Mukundpur, 5 at Belle Vue Clinic, 9 at AMRI Saltlake, 1 at Calcutta Medical College and 2 at SSKM Hospital.
Relatives and family of the patients allege that the hospital was in knowledge of the fire as early as 1 am, but most of the employees fled as soon as the fire broke out leaving behind the patients, many of whom were in critical condition.
The first fire tender reached the spot at only around 4:45 am and in all 30 fire tenders were pressed into service.But even before the fire tenders reached, the flames had spread and thick black smoke engulfed the entire annexe building of AMRI, resulting in the fatalities.
Out of the 150 people admitted in the 161-bed hospital, 90 were rescued. As angry relatives gathered at the hospital to look for their loved ones, they vent their ire at the lack of relief and rescue efforts by the hospital authorities by damaging AMRI’s properties.
For several hours there was no one to assist relatives of the patients. Angry over ‘mismanagement’, some relatives vandalised the reception at the main hospital building.
AMRI Hospital is jointly promoted by the RS Goenka-led Emami Group and the SK Todi-led Shrachi Group of companies.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation and also ordered an FIR against the hospital authorities.
There was still no clarity on what caused the fire. West Bengal Health Minister Sudip Bandhyopadhyay said that the Government was shocked to know that the fire safety measures were not in place in the hospital.
However, Senior Vice President of the AMRI hospital Dr S Upadhyay claimed all the necessary fire equipment was in place.
The angry relatives of the patients who died alleged that the hospital staff abandoned patients and did not help them rush out. They said that this resulted in suffocation, and therefore, deaths of the patients.
The relatives alleged there was little help from hospital staff and security personnel when the patients were gasping for breath in their beds.
“Isn’t it strange that in such a fire only patients lose their lives and not a single casualty from the hospital. They left the patients to choke to death,” said an angry relative of a patient.
Upset and angry relatives destroyed hospital property shouting slogans against authorities for not having enough fire safety measures. The fire had also engulfed the ICU and relatives claim that they were the ones who rescued most patients and that help arrived much later. A few of them also heckled officials at the spot.
The hospital announced that the family of those who have died will be paid Rs 5 lakh as compensation. Reports said many bodies were moved to SSKM hospital. The identification of bodies was on but sources said some of the bodies may not be identified as they were charred.
“The fire engulfed four floors of one of the buildings of the AMRI hospital in Dhakuria,” an officer manning the city police control room told IANS over phone.
Many of the patients who had been administered sedatives died in their sleep, while others could only helplessly watch the smoke enter their cabins through the doors and AC vents.
The 161-bed hospital is located in Dhakuria in Kolkata. Firemen using ladders smashed window panes in the facade to rescue patients trapped inside the ICU, ICCU, ITU and Critical Care units.
Fire Services Minister Javed Khan said the fire spread because of stocks of highly combustible material. The hospital also did not have proper fire-fighting equipment, he said.
Fire brigade sources said that firemen were trying to locate oxygen cylinders stocked on the floors, as the fire could make them explode.
–Agencies–