Fire in Kolkata’s Calcutta Medical College and Hospital; fourth incident in 3 months

A fire broke out in a premier state-run Calcutta Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal capital Kolkata early on Monday, in the fourth such incident in three months in a health care facility.

The incident took place around 4am on Monday as smoke was seen from the second floor of MCH building. There were no reports of any injury in the fire, the second in more than three months in the nearly 200-year-old hospital.

The fire, suspected to have been triggered by an electrical short circuit in a refrigerator in the haematology department of the hospital in College Street in north Kolkata area, was put out quickly by three fire engines that were rushed to the spot.

Officials apprehended that the haematology laboratory cannot be used at least for a week.

“It was a minor fire and firemen doused the flames promptly. There was no need for patients to be evacuated. We are looking into the cause of the fire,” said director general of fire services Jag Mohan.

Officials said blood tests in the haematology department will not be conducted on Monday.

Before Monday’s fire, three hospitals in the city have reported such incidents.

A fire broke out in Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), that functions under the Union ministry of health, on November 20. The origin of that fire was an air conditioning machine in the genetic research wing.

On November 12, a fire triggered panic at Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine. More than 200 patients were evacuated and medicines worth ₹5 crore were damaged after a fire broke out in the pharmacy of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital on October 3.