The ‘tragic’ hospital fire left seven patients dead, including a six-year-old child, and 20 injured after they became stuck in a lift – footage shows the blaze tearing through the building
India: Deadly fire engulfs hospital building in Dindigul
Shocking footage shows the moment a deadly fire engulfs a hospital building – leaving seven patients dead and more than a dozen injured.
The devastating blaze erupted at a prominent orthopaedic hospital in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India. Among the dead were two women and a six-year-old child, and a local official said at least three of the 20 injured were in a “critical condition”. Reports indicated that the dead had been trapped in a lift while the massive inferno engulfed the hospital building. The victims succumbed to suffocation from the dense smoke, firefighters said. Their bodies were subsequently recovered from the lift by a rescue team.
At least five victims have been identified as Suruli, 49, Subu Lakshmi, 45, Mariyammal, 50, Mani Murgun, 28, and 36-year-old Rajasekaran. The fire is believed to have originated from a short circuit in the reception area on the ground floor, which rapidly spread throughout the entire structure.
Nearly 50 ambulances were dispatched to transfer patients to alternative medical facilities, with the hospital in Dindigul admitting more than 30 patients for treatment. Thirty-two patients were shifted to the medical college hospital from City Hospital.
Amid rescue operations, the firefighters continue to battle the flames for over an hour in an effort to contain the blaze. Officials at the hospital said they offered their deepest condolences to the families affected by the “tragic” incident.
Just last month, a large fire at a hospital in India killed at least 10 newborn babies in what was described as a ‘heart-wrenching’ tragedy.
The fire broke out at a hospital in the town of Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh state in India as staff battled to save the babies, with workers able to break in and rescue 44 infants from the flames. Initial reports from the fire, which broke out at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College Hospital on November 15, suggested an electrical fault. Distressed parents were seen gathering outside the hospital in the immediate aftermath of the blaze.