The magisterial enquiry report on the Metro Hospital and Heart Institute fire would be delayed by a week, officials said. The Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate had ordered an enquiry into the incident on February 8, and the report was to be submitted within 15 days.

City magistrate Shailendra Mishra is heading the enquiry, and will take statements of eyewitnesses, hospital staff and other parties concerned to conclude the report.

Experts from the fire, medical, electrical safety and forensic departments visited the hospital in the aftermath of the February 7 fire. The second floor of the building ,where the blaze broke out, was sealed after the incident, to allow experts to collect samples to detect the precise reason that caused the fire.

Till now, only forensic experts have submitted their report to the city magistrate.

“The final report will be ready by Wednesday. We are awaiting reports from other departments. The main cause will be identified by the electrical safety department. The farmer’s protest caused a delay,” Mishra said. The administration was caught up in controlling farmer’s agitation that had gripped the district, he added.

A fire had broken out on the second floor of the hospital on February 7, 63 patients and other persons. had to evacuated. There were no casualties.

According to the chief fire officer of the district, a preliminary investigation suggests the fire broke out after a short circuit. Officials are yet to ascertain which equipment or electric system caused it. “We are yet to be informed by the department concerned exactly where the short circuit took place,” Arun Kumar, chief fire officer, said.

“I haven’t read the forensic department report yet. We can’t disclose anything about the individual reports submitted by experts before the final report is ready and submitted to the district magistrate,” Mishra said.

The report will also determine action to be taken against the hospital. “If it is found that the hospital was at fault, adequate action will be taken,” Mishra added.

The fire department is also going to start random checks of hospitals, hotels and residential high-rises to check if the required fire safety measures have been taken or not.

“Next week onwards, we will start conducting checks at hospitals, hotels and high-rises. If we will find lapses, a week’s time will be given to the violator, but if people fail to make fire safety arrangements before the deadline then their no-objection certificates will be cancelled, in addition to other legal action,” Kumar said.

First Published: Feb 25, 2019 04:34 IST