AMRI directors appear in court as toll reaches 90

The death toll in Kolkata's devastating AMRI hospital fire reached 90 today and board directors were brought before a court, reports said. A small fire was also reported at the hospital basement.Tragedy at AMRI | Day after: 'Killer' Kolkata hospital turns into ghost house| Major fire accidents | Watch video | In pics

The death toll in Kolkata's devastating AMRI hospital fire reached 90 today and board directors were brought before a court, reports said. A small fire was also reported at the hospital basement.

The Kolkata police arrested six of the hospital's directors – including RS Goenka, who is also co-promoter of FMCG major Emami, and SK Todi, also promoter of real estate and financial services group Shrachi – who surrendered before the authorities.

A case of negligence among others has been filed against them after a major fire in the hospital claimed 89 lives on Friday.

Eighty-nine people choked to death, many of them in their sleep — some too ill even to move — at the hospital early Friday morning when thick smoke from a fire in the basement of the hospital spread through the central AC ducting and engulfed the seven floors.

The scale of tragedy dwarfed the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire in Delhi (which killed 59) and the 2010 Stephen Court fire in Kolkata (which killed 43).

Incidentally, this was the second fire at AMRI. The previous one, three years ago, had not resulted in any deaths.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the health portfolio, cancelled the licence of AMRI, one of eastern India's leading private hospitals. She has ordered a probe into the fire.

| Day after: 'Killer' Kolkata hospital turns into ghost house| | In pics