A major catastrophe was averted on Thursday after an up-market hospital Metro Hospital’s Heart Institute in sector-12 of Noida caught fire. Panic stricken patients, their family members and hospital staffers ran to their safety and helped each other in exiting safely.
Police and hospital staffers evacuated scores of patients from the building and shifted them to another unit of hospital at Sector 11, around 500 meters away. According to a senior fire department official in Noida, the fire broke out around 11:30 am at the second floor of the hospital following which 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. “The fire was doused around 2 pm. The cause of fire is suspected to be short circuit,” said the senior fire department official.
“Since the lifts in the hospital had stopped functioning and the staircases also become inaccessible due to billowing smoke, the window panes had to be smashed to pull out the people trapped inside. The hospital used a dozen ambulances for the patients admitted on the 5th floor. The fire damaged instruments, furniture and the accessories fitted in the hospital,” said a senior police official.
“There were over 60 admitted patients at the time of the incident. All the patients, staff and other personnel have been successfully evacuated. There are no casualties,” said Dr Purshottam Lal, Chairman of Metro Hospital. District Magistrate BN Singh has set up an inquiry committee to probe the incident. “The inquiry committee will include senior police and administration officials who will submit a report in next 15 days,” said Singh.
According to locals, when the fire broke out several people in the area helped hospital staff in evacuating the hospital premises till the fire department and police arrived.
“As I saw thick smoke coming from the building, I parked my car and ran toward hospital. The police official had also arrived till then and patients were evacuated. I helped three patients in the evacuation,” said Parimal, a passerby.