Delhi: Fire breaks out at ESIC hospital in Punjabi Bagh, none injured

Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said the hospital campus has two buildings – a three-storey building and a seven-storey building. The fire had broken out on the second floor of the three-storey building, which did not have any wards.

A fire broke out at the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in west Delhi’s Basaidarapur near Punjabi Bagh on Thursday afternoon, trapping over 24 medical personnel, who were later rescued by firefighters. Senior fire department officials said the blaze was doused within one hour of receiving the alter by a team 20 firefighters and seven fire tenders. No casualty or injury was reported in the incident.

This is the second case of fire in a hospital in the past 15 days. (File photo. Representative image)

Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said the hospital campus has two buildings – a three-storey building and a seven-storey building. The fire had broken out on the second floor of the three-storey building, which did not have any wards.

“There were no patients on the floor where the fire started -- it only has an operation theatre and an intensive care unit (ICU), which did not have nay patients at the time of the incident. Nearly 25 nursing staff and attendants were trapped on the floor due to the thick smoke. All of them were safely rescued,” said Garg, adding that the fire control room was informed about the fire at 1.17pm.

The ESIC hospital authorities could not be reached for their comment on the fire incident.

Divisional fire officer MK Chattopadhyay said the blaze originated from the UPS room near the operation theatre. “Black smoke had engulfed the entire floor and medical staffers were trapped there. We safely rescued them and controlled the blaze,” Chattopadhyay said.

“The fire may have started due to a short-circuit in the electric circuit -- there was no mischief involved. No case has been registered,” said deputy commissioner of police (west) Urvija Goel.

This is the second case of fire in a hospital in the past 15 days. On May 5, nearly 26 patients, including 17 Covid patients -- some of them on oxygen support -- were trapped after a fire broke out at the UK Nursing Home in west Delhi’s Vikaspuri. The hospital has been recently converted into a Covid facility. All patients and staff were safely rescued by firefighters.