Hyderabad, February 02: A major fire broke out in a private superspeciality hospital in which around 150 people including 29 patients in ICU and emergency wards had a providential escape today but an old patient on ventilation was not lucky.
The condition of four persons, including three nurses, was critical after they inhaled smoke and jumped from the second
floor when huge flames and thick clouds of smoke leapt from the five-storey hospital building here, hospital sources said.
The blaze started on the ground floor of ‘Park Superspeciality Hospital’ building this morning and quickly spread to the top floor. The persons including several hospital staff who were lucky to escape were trapped inside for nearly one hour before being pulled out of the fire.
Mangaiah, 75, a native of Suryapet who was already on ventilation before being shifted to a nearby hospital after the blaze, died this evening reportedly due to shock and inhaling smoke, hospital sources said tonight.
As many as 37 persons, including 29 patients who were undergoing treatment in ICU and other emergency wards, were shiftedto a nearby corporate hospital. Though none of them suffered burn injuries, they complained of asphyxiation due to
excess inhaling of smoke, sources said.
They were among the 150 persons that including patients, medical, para- medical staff and attendants to have a providential escape due to timely evacuation by the fire brigade and police personnel.
Ten fire engines and advanced equipment were deployed to extinguish the flames in about two hours, Hyderabad district fire officer P Deen Dayal said.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire broke out after the electric transformer in the hospital premises burst.
Police commissioner AK Khan, who visited the spot, said a criminal case was registered against the hospital management and investigations are on to determine the exact cause of the fire as well to fix the responsibility.
The fire department personnel said no safety measures were adopted in the building and some extinguishers placed in the hospital were in poor condition.
Besides, huge combustible material was used in the hospital building for panelling and decoration that resulted in rapid spread of fire. The mishap also caused a stampede as there was only one stair-case in the building, they said.
Earlier, health and family welfare minister Danam Nagender, who visited the spot, ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.
–Agencies