Fire breaks out at Aurangabad hospital

A fire broke out at a private hospital in Aurangabad on Monday, prompting authorities to evacuate patients.

While no loss of life was reported, a few patients endured suffocation due to the smoke, sources said.

The blaze occurred in the basement of Manik Hospital and Research Center around 11 a.m. It was brought under control within an hour, said fire department sources.

Dr. Makarand Kanjalkar, a general physician attached with the hospital, told The Hindu, “All 33 patients on the first floor were swiftly evacuated to nearby hospitals like Dr. Hedgewar Rugnalaya. Some were in critical condition, on ventilator support. But the evacuation process, through corridors and stairways, was smooth.”

Dr. Kanjalkar said the hospital staff was safe and that the fire was checked before it could spread to upper floors. “The hospital strictly adheres to fire safety norms. Some work was going on in the basement. We are checking if the fire could have originated from combustible materials there,” he said. He said the damage to property was being ascertained.

Within minutes after the fire broke out, smoke was seen rising up to the first floor. More than 20 ambulances were pressed into service to shift patients. A massive crowd of onlookers, including anxious relatives, gathered at the hospital.

Fire tenders from three stations rushed to the spot. “Prima facie, a short circuit seems to have been the cause. Around 10 water tankers and other firefighting vehicles succeeding in dousing it,” said a fire official.

District administration sources said a probe was under way to ascertain the cause of the fire.