Fire broke out in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Kanpur’s biggest children and maternity hospital, GSVM Medical College, on Tuesday night. No casualties or injuries were reported till reports last came in.
Some 60 children were admitted in the ward and four were on ventilator when blinding flashes emerged from an electrical panel accompanied by a loud bang.
Panicked, people rushed out with their children, creating a stampede-like situation in a narrow corridor. Eyewitnesses said the entire area was filled with thick smoke, and those inside had difficulty breathing and complained of a burning sensation in their eyes.
Three fire tenders reached the hospital and cut off electricity supply to the entire campus, which houses five hospitals, including the 400-bed LLR Hospital and its emergency ward. Electricity hadn’t been restored till late night.
{{/usCountry}}Three fire tenders reached the hospital and cut off electricity supply to the entire campus, which houses five hospitals, including the 400-bed LLR Hospital and its emergency ward. Electricity hadn’t been restored till late night.
{{/usCountry}}Doctors said all the babies in the intensive care unit and the ward were safe. The children will now be treated at another facility as a security check by the medical college’s administration could take 24 hours.
The medical college has deployed several doctors to attend to the children.
Circle officer (Swaroop Nagar) Rajesh Singh said fire fighters were still inside the building, examining the electrical wiring in the intensive care unit to determine the cause of the fire.