Jabalpur Hospital Fire: 4 Patients Among 8 Dead; Chief Minister Announces Probe, Aid

Eight people, including four patients, were charred to death and five others injured in a major fire that broke out at a private hospital in Jabaplpur, Madhya Pradesh on Monday afternoon, according to officials.

Jabalpur Collector Dr. Ilayaraja T said that four patients, a caregiver and three staffers of New Life Multi-speciality Hospital, housed in a ground plus three-storey building, died in the fire which has been put out.

Of the five injured, he said, "Two were in critical condition and admitted to the ICU of the government medical college in Jabalpur."

He said that the evacuation of patients and other people from the 30-bed hospital was over and no one was trapped in the building.

The Collector said, "There were 20 to 25 people in the hospital when the blaze started."

"The fire erupted at New Life Multi-speciality Hospital near Damoh Naka under the Gohalpur police station area of Jabalpur around 2.30 pm," Superintendent of Police (SP) Siddharth Bahuguna told PTI.

"Prima facie it appears an electrical short circuit caused the blaze," he said.

The hospital has been gutted in the fire, an official said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asked the Jabalpur divisional commissioner to inquire into the tragedy.

Chouhan expressed grief over the tragedy and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 per injured person.

"A very unfortunate and sad incident has taken place in Jabalpur. I am in constant touch with the district administration there. I have issued an order to the Jabalpur (revenue) commissioner to conduct an inquiry," Chouhan tweeted.

Power at the hospital, that was among private health facilities that mushroomed during the coronavirus pandemic, tripped around 2:30 p.m.

While the power system was switching to the backup, something went wrong -- possibly an electrical short circuit - and that ignited the inferno at the hospital.

Flames started from the ground floor, moved upwards and then engulfed the entire building. On noticing the flames, people outside the hospital immediately rang up authorities and informed them about the blaze.

Inside the 30-bed hospital, which had seven patients at the time of the tragedy, staffers and caregivers screamed for help.

Many could not escape in time as the hospital had only one exit, eyewitnesses said.

Chandan Singh, who lost his relative Durgesh Singh, told PTI that he admitted the latter just an hour before the fire broke out.

"Durgesh Singh had sustained injury to his leg and I got him admitted to the hospital. Just when I stepped out of the building to buy medicines I got to know about the blaze," Chandan Singh added.

“I rushed back up find the building in flames. I manged to enter the building which was cordoned off. The scene was chaotic outside the hospital. Later, I was informed that Durgesh was no more. I cursed myself for bringing him to the hospital,” said Chandan Singh in a choked voice with his eyes welled up.

Jabalpur Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Ratnesh Kuraria said that the hospital started functioning on January 5, 2021, during the COVID-19 outbreak.

He said, "The private medical facility had two entries an exits - one for outdoor patients and the other for going upstairs."

Dr Kuraria said, "The hospital had all relevant documents in place - no objection certificate from the fire department, clearance of pollution control and building permission."

“We have visited the hospital and further proceedings are on”, he added.