A major fire broke out in the multispecialty Sun Hospital, at Tulasipur here on Monday, triggering panic among patients, attendants and staffs.Though the reason behind the fire was yet to be ascertained, an electric short-circuit was suspected to be the cause.
As many as seven fire tenders and 60 personnel were pressed into service to douse the flame that spread in the multistoried hospital. Critical patients were shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital and other hospitals in the city. Cuttack Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani, Cuttack Municipality Corporation Commissioner Ananya Das and city DCP Prateek Singh rushed to the spot and supervised the firefighting and rescue operations. Chayani said all the patients undergoing treatment at the hospital were safely evacuated.“As many as 11 patients were undergoing treatment and all have been safely evacuated to other hospitals in the city. The flame was brought under control due to timely action by the Fire Services personnel.
The Fire Service Department is investigating the circumstances that led to such a mishap. An investigation will also be carried out whether the hospital followed the fire safety norms,” he said. Firefighters were using snorkels (elevated hydraulic platforms and ladders to reach the affected area located on the top floor of the hospital. However, it was allege that the hospital did not have a fire licence. “We have not granted any fire licence to the hospital. The hospital authorities had been directed to adopt adequate fire safety measures.
We also conduct evacuation mock drills at the hospital every month. The successful and safe evacuation of patients is fallout of the mock drill exercises,” said Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy (OFDRA) Director Maheswar Swain.