Gujarat: 23 patients rescued as fire erupts in Vadodara hospital

AHMEDABAD: At least 23 patients, including 17 COVID-19 patients, were evacuated to safety following a minor fire at a private hospital in Gujarat's Vadodara city on Wednesday night, officials said.

Nobody was injured in the fire, which engulfed a portion of Shree Vijay Vallabh Sarvajanik Hospital in Mandvi area of Vadodara city, said Vadodara Collector Shalini Agarwal.

"All the 23 patients, including 17 COVID-19 patients, were rescued and shifted to other hospitals following the fire. No injury or casualty was reported in the mishap," she said.

While the blaze started on the first floor of the four-storey hospital, smoke reached the second and the third floors, fire officer Amit Chaudhary said, adding that the Pani Gate fire station of Vadodara received the fire call at 9.05 pm.

"The fire came under control in about one hour. Since thick smoke covered the upper floors, we rescued all the 23 patients and shifted them to other hospitals.

"Since there was only one staircase in the hospital, we used three to four ladders to evacuate some patients from windows. No one was injured in the incident," Chaudhary said.