In one of the worst tragedies ever witnessed in Warangal, two patients undergoing treatment in a private hospital got choked to death after fire broke out in its building on Monday.
The massive rescue operations by scores of policemen and firemen that followed saved lives of nearly 197 patients undergoing treatment for various ailments in the ill-fated Rohini Hospital. Despite the efforts, a man J. Kumaraswamy of Chityal mandal and a woman Mallamma of Bhupalpally mandal lost their lives.
Precise reasons for the tragedy were yet to be ascertained but the hospital management maintained that leakage from oxygen cylinder and an electric short circuit triggered smoke in the hospital. “What started as small smoke from a corner soon engulfed one ward after the other, scaring the living daylights out of us,” an attendant said.
Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, who arrived in the city, rushed to the hospital and went round the premises. He interacted with the management and staff there. He said only one patient was said to be in a critical condition and 198 patients were shifted to other hospitals in the city. The police were conducting a detailed inquiry into the incident only after which he could make a statement. City police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu and his staff oversaw the vacation of the building. They arranged for more ambulances to shift the patients to other hospitals.
On behalf of management, Dr P Vijay Chander Reddy said the hospital was equipped with all fire safety measures. The leakage in oxygen cylinder led to the fire.
District Collector K Amrapali said the patients were shifted safely.