At least four patients lost their lives after a major fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district in the early hours of Thursday. The incident occurred at Prasad Hospital, where flames reportedly engulfed the ICU located on the fifth floor of the building.
As per a report by NDTV, authorities fear the death toll could rise as officials continue to assess the condition of patients who were shifted to other medical facilities following the evacuation.
Patients rescued, shifted to nearby hospitals
According to the fire department, an emergency call was received at 3:55 am, prompting immediate deployment of firefighting and rescue teams to the hospital.
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"We rescued 15-20 patients from the ICU of which two died on the spot. The other patients have been moved to nearby hospitals. We don't have an update on their health condition," said Ram Niwas Pandey, an official from the fire department in Muzaffarpur.
Rescue personnel evacuated around 20 people from the affected ward. The remaining patients were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment and observation.
Short circuit suspected as cause
Preliminary findings indicate that the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit. However, officials have said the exact cause will be confirmed only after a detailed investigation.
Providing details about the number of patients admitted at the time, Muzaffarpur District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen said, "Around 13 patients were there in ICU and few others were admitted to the CCU."
"Appropriate action will be taken based on the investigation," he added.
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Incident comes a day after Delhi hotel fire
The tragedy in Muzaffarpur comes just a day after a deadly fire at a hotel in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar claimed 21 lives and left 26 others injured.
The fire at the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast in Hauz Rani reportedly broke out around 8:30 am while many guests were still asleep. Police said the building had only one entry and exit point, while its windows were permanently sealed. The sensor-operated main door further restricted escape routes once the fire spread through the premises.
Authorities in both incidents are continuing their investigations into the circumstances that led to the fires.
