Six people have since lost their lives in a fire that broke out in a private hospital in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul, on Thursday night.
Image Credits: Hindustan Times
Amongst the deceased, there were a child, two women, and several others injured. The fire is presumed to have been caused due to a short circuit, trapping multiple patients and hospital personnel of the City Ortho Hospital.
The fire broke out around 9pm, with intense flames and smoke rising near the entrance of the institution and rapidly spreading throughout the building. Witnesses have reported seeing scenes of panic and chaos across, with emergency responders and rescue teams worked swiftly to evacuate nearly 100 people from the hazardous facility.
Out of the six, five were trapped in an elevator on the ground floor, the overwhelming smoke rendering them unable to escape. Preliminary reports suggest that suffocation was the prime cause of their demise, although confirmation from medical authorities is still awaited.
All sox bodies have been identified and transported for postmortem examination for conclusive reports to the Dindigul Medical College Hospital.
“We are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire, but it is suspected to have started due to a short circuit near the entrance,” said M N Poongodi, the district collector of Dindigul District, during a late-night press conference. “All patients have been rescued and brought to safety. A Medical team from Madurai has been deployed to assist the injured,” he further added.
