Over 140 patients evacuated after fire breaks out at Kanpur hospital, no casualties reported
Chief Minister Adityanath has taken cognisance of the accident and ordered an inquiry.
Over 140 patients were evacuated from a government hospital in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday after a broke out in its cardiology department, reported NDTV. No casualties were reported, the police said.
The fire broke out around 8 am in LPS Institute of Cardiology of the government-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College. The police said the fire is under control. “146 patients were safely evacuated after the fire started,” Kanpur Police Commissioner Aseem Arun said. “Nine patients are still in the ICU [intensive care unint] but they are medically safe and sound. No casualty has been reported from fire brigade as of now.”
One patient, 75-year-old Tej Chandra, reportedly died at the hospital, according to the Hindustan Times. The hospital authorities, however, said that Chandra died before the fire broke out.
At least seven fire tenders were sent to the hospital, said Station House Officer Swaroop Nagar Ashwani Pandey. He said that the entire hospital was filled with smoke, adding that windows on the ground and the first floor were broken to evacuate the patients and attendants.
Chief Minister Adityanath has taken cognisance of the accident and ordered an inquiry. “He [Adityanath] has directed that all evacuated patients be provided immediate care,” the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement. The chief minister has also asked for a report from the district administration and directed the principal secretary of medical education and director general of fire services to visit the site and give a report.
On Friday, at least 10 people had died after a fire broke out at a hospital located inside Mumbai’s Dreams Mall. Over 70 coronavirus patients had to be evacuated. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had apologised to the families of those who died in the fire. “I ask for forgiveness from the families of those who died,” he had said.