At least ten patients died and 70 others were evacuated after a fire broke out at a hospital in Mumbai, Maharashtra on March 26 where coronavirus patients were being treated, news agency PTI reported. The fire broke out at the Sunrise Hospital in the Dreams Mall building in the Bhandup area shortly after midnight, the report cited a fire brigade official as saying.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. “I have seen a hospital at the mall for the first time. Action will be taken. 70 patients including COVID-19 patients were shifted to another hospital," ANI quoted Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar as saying.
Mumbai: Firefighting operation underway at the mall where a fire broke out last night; latest visuals from the spot pic.twitter.com/OTBMtJq5EK— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2021
The hospital is situated on the third floor of the five-storeyed mall building and many patients including those being treated for COVID-19 were at the hospital when the fire broke out, a police official said.
The cause of the 'level four' fire (serious emergency call in fire brigade parlance) has not been ascertained yet, the BMC control room sources said.
Around 20 fire engines, 15 water tankers and ambulances were rushed to the spot. Fire fighting operation is underway, the official said. Patients were evacuated by the fire brigade and shifted to another hospital, the official said, adding fire personnel are checking if any patient is still stuck in the hospital.
The hospital said there were two deaths due to COVID-19 at the facility and there was no death due to the fire. "There was a fire on the first floor of Dreams Mall, Bhandup and the smoke reached up to the Sunrise Hospital located on the top floor. When fire alarms beeped, all patients were safely evacuated to the fire refuge area as the smoke was reaching the hospital," the hospital said in a statement.
"The two bodies have been shifted as well. The other patients have been shifted to nearby jumbo COVID-19 centre and private hospitals," the hospital said. The statement said the hospital was started in 2020 in "exceptional circumstances" of the pandemic and has helped save many lives.
A civic official said the BMC had issued notice to the mall in November 2020 for allegedly flouting fire safety norms. Former NCP MP Sanjay Dina Patil said he had also written to the BMC commissionerin 2020 drawing the civic body's attention to the flouting of fire safety norms there.
(With inputs from PTI)
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