3 killed in UP as fire breaks out in hospital building

The deceased were identified as the building owner Rajan Kumar (42), his daughter Simran alias Shalu (18) and son Rishi (15).

Three people of a family were killed after a fire broke out in a building housing a private hospital in Shahganj area of Agra early on Wednesday morning, police said.

3 killed in UP as fire breaks out in hospital building

According to police, the R Madhuraj Hospital operated on the ground floor while the owner of the family stayed with his family on the first floor of the building. The deceased were identified as the building owner Rajan Kumar (42), his daughter Simran alias Shalu (18) and son Rishi (15). Kumar’s wife Rajrani and their other son Luv are undergoing treatment.

Prima facie, the fire was caused by a short circuit in an electric line in the hospital, said a police officer familiar with the matter, asking not to be named.

“We received information that a fire broke out in a building. A family stayed on the first floor of the building. We are following the protocol,” a police officer was quoted as saying in a statement tweeted by the Agra Police.

“The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. Some people in the house came out when the blaze broke out, but three family members were trapped,” the officer said.

According to the officer, it is suspected that foam mattresses stored in the building caught fire and the blaze spread. Kumar tried to save Simran and Rishi as they were trapped by the fire but all three suffocated to death.

According to health department records, the hospital is registered to Dr Ishu Verma.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences on the deaths and directed the district magistrate and police officials to rush to the spot and ensure relief work and proper treatment to those injured.

Chief medical officer Dr AK Srivastava, following a visit to the site of the fire, clarified that Kumar was not a doctor but was the owner of the premises and lived on the first floor. He had rented the ground floor to the hospital.

There were four patients in the hospital at the time of the incident, said a police officer, adding that all of them had been rescued safely and that three were discharged.

“A proper inquiry is being conducted to find details about the registration of the hospital in residential premises,” said the CMO.

According to local residents, the fire broke out at about 5 am on Wednesday.