Massive fire at Kottayam Medical College Hospital, patients evacuated

Kottayam: In a tragic incident, a massive fire broke out at the under-construction building of a state-run Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Kottayam on Monday but was brought under control within hours. 

Fire tenders from Kottayam and neighbouring towns were rushed to the spot to douse the fire, officials said.

There were no occupants in the building that caught fire.

There is no report of any casualty, but the incident created panic among the patients and their attendants staying in the neighbouring block in which the psychiatric, medicine wards and Intensive Care for Dialysis patients were operating.

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Around 100 construction workers and 150 patients were evacuated to safety as a precaution, officials added.

Many of them even had rushed out of the wards screaming and crying.

Officials said the incident was reported at 12 noon in the eight-storey building under construction for the general surgery ward of the Medical College hospital and the fire started to spread to other floors as well.

The workers who were sorting the garbage and bagging it were the first to see the smoke billowing from inside the building.

They informed the hospital authorities, who immediately alerted the fire brigade.

The construction workers ran out of the building. The first fire brigade from Kottayam reached the spot 45 minutes after the fire broke out.

It is believed that the fire may have started due to a short circuit or a gas stove brought by the workers to cook food. According to TH reports, the gas cylinder also exploded in the impact of the fire.

However, the exact cause of the incident is unknown. It will be only ascertained after an inquiry conducted by MCH. 

Following this, Health Minister Veena George have directed the director of medical education minister to probe the matter and submit a report. 

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