Odisha hospital fire: Toll rises to 12 as 2 more patients die

The blaze broke out around 2.30am on Monday in the hospital’s trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where 23 patients were admitted in two rooms

The toll from the fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack rose to 12 after an 11-year-old girl and a 45-year-old man died on Tuesday.

Relatives of the victims alleged lapses in safety measures and delays in emergency response. (AFP)

The blaze broke out around 2.30am on Monday in the hospital’s trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where 23 patients were admitted in two rooms. Many of the victims were critically ill and asleep when the fire started, leaving little time to escape. Seven patients died on the spot, and three others while being shifted. Three of the patients who suffered burn injuries were said to be serious.

Relatives of the victims alleged lapses in safety measures and delays in emergency response, saying firefighters reached the hospital about an hour after the blaze.

Officials said the ICU’s automatic sprinkler system failed to activate as its control valve had been left closed while the fire alarm system was switched off. A preliminary probe found that the fire originated from two of the ventilators.

Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered a judicial inquiry under retired district judge Laxmidhar Biswal to determine the cause of the fire, identify any lapses in safety or response, and submit a report within 60 days.

The state government has also formed a development commissioner DK Singh-led six-member committee to investigate the cause of the fire and submit its findings by Tuesday.