A portion of the Kasturba hospital's female surgical ward collapsed here on Friday evening, killing two persons under the debris. There were 16 admitted patients in the ward at the time of the incident. Thirteen of them were rescued by the time this report was filed. Emergency response teams rushed to the spot and began rescue operations.
Official sources said tiling work was on at the ground floor of the two-storey portion of the building. The building was built around 60 years ago. Around 5.15 pm, the building collapsed and labourers, patients and their attendants present at the time were trapped under the debris.
Although the exact number of people trapped under the debris could not immediately be known, the authorities claimed at least 24 persons had been rescued. The deceased were identified as Arun Sisodiya and Jameel (70).
Earth moving equipment were pressed into service to clear the rubble and pull out those trapped inside.
The Kasturba hospital is run by the Bharat Heavy Electricals limited (BHEl). The officer said injuries suffered by those rescued were not serious. Executive Director of BHEl, Bhopal, SR Prasad said all the 14 patients admitted in the ward had been rescued without any serious injuries. He said they had suffered minor injuries and fractures and were being treated in another wing of the hospital. "We have scanned the collapsed structure and there is nobody trapped inside. Work is on to clear the debris," he said.
Darkness and presence of local politicians, curious onlookers and anxious relatives obstructed rescue and relief operations for a while. There were chaotic scenes all around and anger was palpable against the hospital administration and senior BHEl officials. For a few hours, nobody was sure how many persons were there in the ill-fated portion of the building.
CM announces Ex gratia of Rs2l
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced ex-gratia of Rs2 lakh to the deceased and Rs50,000 each to people who got injured due to collapse of Kasturba Hospital’s portion here on Friday. He directed to ensure proper treatment of all the injured. Soon after returning from his visit to Manasa in Neemuch district, Chouhan sought information about the incident from officers. He directed the district administration to ensure all arrangements for treatment of the injured on priority.