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Odisha Fire: Fire engulfed a private nursing home in Cuttack city in Odisha on Saturday evening. According to officials, fire broke out at the Radha Raman Hospital at around 3:30 PM in the evening and three fire tenders were engaged in the fire fighting operation which lasted for nearly two hours.
A senior fire service official said that a total of 45 patients were safely rescued from the hospital located near the Purighat police station.
Seventeen patients were admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital, 17 children were sent to Sishu Bhawan and 11 others shifted to different private hospitals, he officials said.
“We first rescued around 10 patients from the ICU and then rescued the newborns. In the meantime, we doused the flames and then dealt with the smoke,” said Assistant Fire Service Officer Sanjeeb Behera.
Earlier, a senior official had said the blaze was brought under control and 12 newborn babies have been rescued by fire and emergency services’ personnel, adding that patients at private medical facility are also being evacuated as the smoke from the fire, which broke out on the third floor of the building, still persists.
“We are trying to deal with the smoke by using exhausts. We have already shifted the patients admitted in the ICU. About 12 newborn babies were there. They need NICU, so the Chief Minister’s Office and the Health Department are coordinating to move them to proper healthcare facilities,” said Director-General of Fire Services Sudhanshu Sarangi.
Visuals shared on social media showed patients being evacuated from the charred building by fire services sleuths with the help of locals.
Fire Incident At A Private Nursing Home In Cuttack
Fire service personnel swung into action to rescue patients from Radha Raman Hospital, Cuttack
Efforts are on to ascertain whether the Nursing home had Fire NoC pic.twitter.com/KmM8LMOOuQ
— Soumyajit Pattnaik (@soumyajitt) July 13, 2024
Sarangi had said the some patients were also shifted to the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Officials suspect the fire was caused by by an electrical short-circuit, but the exact cause could only be ascertained after an investigation.
Meanwhile, Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling has ordered an enquiry into the incident and assured strict action if discrepancies are discovered.
“I have directed the DG of Fire Services to conduct an inquiry into the incident. After getting the report, we will take action,” the minister said.
On a similar note, Chief Minister Mahon Charan Majhi directed the Fire Services to ensure strict implementation of all the rules related to fire safety.
Describing it as an unfortunate incident, Majhi noted that organisations that save people’s lives need to be more careful, according to an official statement. The chief minister announced that the state government will bear all the medical expenses of the patients who were admitted at the hospital at the time of incident.
(With inputs from agencies)
