Kolkata: Two people were killed and several injured after a fire broke out at a government hospital in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Saturday afternoon.
According to initial reports, the fire broke out at around noon at the medicine department of the third floor of a building apparently from an air conditioner short circuit. As flames and smoke engulfed the floors, panic gripped the children’s ward on the same floor.
“Two people have died due to fire. Others including all the children were safely brought out of the building and are safe,” said S. Saha, chief medical officer of Behrampur Medical College. Both the victims, Maman Sarkar and Paramita Ghosh, worked as attendants in the hospital and died due to smoke inhalation.
Locals suggest that several patients, including children from a ward next to the site of the fire, have fallen ill because of smoke inhalation. Many patients are lying in the open with relatives holding saline bottles; some have been put up in other wards.
“The hospital staff was completely ill-prepared for such emergencies. The fire created panic and without anyone to guide it led to such a disaster,” said Paresh Mondal, a local medical shop owner. reports suggest the door at the emergency exit was closed and hospital staff could not locate the keys in the melee.
The fire though was contained after almost three hours, though the inadequate preparedness of the fire department was glaring, as three fire tenders reached the place, but fire brigade officials could not start working due to lack of gas mask. “People climbed up the trees and broke the glass to rescue patients. The firemen were standing helpless due to inadequate equipment,” said Mohan Das, a tea-seller near the hospital.
West Bengal government has announced a compensation of Rs200,000 (Dh10,947) for the deceased and a hundred thousand for those injured. Meanwhile a special investigation team led by Chandrima Bhattacharyya has been rushed to the spot at the behest of chief minister Mamata Banerjee who is also in charge of the health department.
“We are investigating into the causes of the fire. People have been requested not to panic and not spread rumours,” said state health services director Dr Biswaranjan Satpathi.
There were unconfirmed reports an infant had died by slipping from the hands of the health workers as he was rescued from the fire. “There were reports, but until now no such incidents have been reported. I even checked with the officials at the hospital but none could confirm,” Satpathi said.
in December 2011, 92 people were burnt to death during a fire at AMRI hospital in Kolkata and the memories of that gruesome night are still fresh in the minds of the people. “Fires like this are always due to lack of safety precautions and abysmal maintenance. This is criminal as people go to hospital with a belief of returning home safely,” said family member of a victim of the AMRI fire.
