VADODARA: Amid rising Covid-19 cases in the city, fire broke out in Vijay Vallabh Sarvajanik Hospital on Mandvi-Panigate Road in Vadodara on Wednesday evening.
At least 25 patients, including 17 Covid infected, were evacuated by the locals and firemen as the fire engulfed the four-storey hospital that is located in a densely populated area. No one was injured in the incident.
“We got a call at about 9pm that a fire had broken out in the hospital. The fire has been put out and the patients have been evacuated. The hospital has one ward for Covid-19 patients,” said a fire official.
The firemen broke windows panes of the hospital to evacuate the patients who were shifted to another hospital.
Fire officials said that the reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained. “We saw smoke billowing out of the first floor and rushed to the spot. I helped evacuate about six patients who were stuck in the building due to smoke,” said Arbaz Pathan, who stays near the hospital.
Social worker, Farooq Soni, who also stays in the locality, said, “The authorities should check whether the hospital was following fire safety norms. Lives of so many patients were put in danger due to the fire.”
Hospital trustee Ankit Shah said that there were 17 Covid patients on the fourth floor apart from six other patients. All patients were evacuated safely. The fire broke out in the accounts department on the first floor due to short circuit.
In September last year, a fire had broken out in the ICU ward at SSG Hospital. Thirty-nine patients were evacuated from the ward but no one was injured in the incident.