Muzaffarpur: A fire that erupted early on Thursday at Prasad Hospital in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, has killed at least four patients and prompted an ongoing rescue and investigation, officials said. The blaze began in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on the hospital’s fifth floor and authorities warned the death toll may rise as efforts to locate and treat all victims continue.
The fire department received an emergency call at 3:55 am and dispatched teams to the hospital, as reported by NDTV. Roughly 20 patients were evacuated from the ICU and those who survived were shifted to nearby hospitals. “We rescued 15-20 patients from the ICU of which two died on the spot. The other patients have been moved to nearby hospitals. We don’t have an update on their health condition,” said Ram Niwas Pandey, an official from the fire department in Muzaffarpur.
Officials said early probes point to a short circuit as the probable cause of the blaze, and an inquiry has been launched to determine the sequence of events. “Around 13 patients were there in ICU and few others were admitted to the CCU,” said Subrat Kumar Sen, District Magistrate, Muzaffarpur. “Appropriate action will be taken based on the investigation.”
According to reports, rescue work was complicated by the hospital’s layout. The ICU sits on the fifth floor while a waiting hall occupies the fourth, officials said, and the fire was brought under control after roughly an hour.
Families of some patients said they have been unable to locate relatives and alleged that doctors and hospital staff fled the scene, leaving patients to fend for themselves when the fire began, reports said. A second fire department official said most of the hospital staff were not present when their team arrived.
Sen said steps will be taken over the reported negligence. “Every aspect is being investigated.”
The incident follows another deadly blaze a day earlier at a hotel in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar which claimed 21 lives and injured 26 other.
