Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over loss of lives in a fire mishap at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack city early on Monday.
Murmu said she was deeply saddened by the tragic fire at the hospital in Cuttack and extended condolences to the bereaved families while wishing a speedy recovery to those injured. “Deeply distressed by the loss of lives in the tragic fire incident at a hospital in Cuttack, Odisha. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” her office posted on X.
The PM termed the incident as deeply painful. He extended condolences to those who lost their family members and also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased. Those injured in the incident will receive Rs 50,000.
“The mishap at a hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, is deeply painful. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the post on X said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, who visited the hospital to assess the situation this morning, shared details of his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Modi concerning the tragic incident. “I have informed him about the emergency measures being taken for all those affected, the evacuation process, and the specialised medical services being provided to them. I have also provided information about the high-level inter-departmental inquiry directed by the state government,” he mention in the post on X.
Majhi had earlier announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the next of kin of each of the deceased, identified as Ramesh Parida, Dasharu Munda, M.D. Nyum, Gauranga Barik, S K Abdul Sattar, Madhusudan Dalai, Krushnachandra Biswal, Rabindra Das, Cheru Parida, and Menaka Rout.
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The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs, on the other hand, have declined an invitation to attend a breakfast meeting hosted by the President following the devastating fire at the trauma care ICU of the state’s premier hospital that claimed the lives of at least 10 patients.
BJD Rajya Sabha member, Manas Mangaraj, explained his absence on X (formerly Twitter): “Hon’ble President Droupadi Murmu had graciously invited all MPs from Odisha for a breakfast meeting. While expressing my sincere gratitude for her kind and thoughtful invitation, I conveyed my inability to attend in view of the tragic ICU fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, which has claimed at least ten precious lives. This heartbreaking tragedy has deeply saddened me, and my conscience does not permit me to attend any such gathering at this moment. I mourn the innocent victims and stand in solidarity with the grieving families, praying for strength for them and a speedy recovery for those injured.”
