Patna: At least three people were killed, and more than 20 patients were rescued after a major fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Prasad Hospital in the Brahmpura area of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, in the early hours of Thursday.
The blaze triggered panic across the hospital premises as flames and thick smoke rapidly engulfed the ICU ward. Several injured patients were evacuated from the smoke-filled building and shifted to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
According to eyewitnesses, cries for help echoed throughout the hospital after the fire erupted during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. Hospital staff, assisted by local residents, reportedly broke windows to rescue patients trapped inside the ICU. Officials said their swift action helped avert a far greater tragedy.
Following the alert, eight fire tenders were rushed to the scene and launched an extensive firefighting operation. After several hours of effort, firefighters succeeded in bringing the blaze under control.
Fire Officer RN Pandey said the department received information about the incident at around 3 a.m. “Our team reached the hospital immediately after receiving the alert. The ICU was filled with dense smoke. More than 20 patients have been rescued safely. So far, we have received information about three deaths, and the matter is being verified,” he said.
Senior officials from the district administration, police and health department reached the hospital to oversee rescue and relief operations. District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen confirmed that three fatalities have been officially verified.
According to the administration, between 13 and 15 patients were admitted to the ICU when the fire broke out. Several of them have since been shifted to other medical facilities for continued treatment. Authorities are also working to identify the deceased and assess the extent of damage caused to the hospital’s ICU infrastructure.
Preliminary findings suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. However, officials have stressed that the exact cause will be determined only after a detailed technical investigation.
Given the seriousness of the incident, the district administration has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the fire and determine whether there were any lapses in safety measures.
With IANS inputs