4 killed in Bihar's Muzaffarpur hospital ICU fire
Muzaffarpur- In a tragic incident, around four patients lost their lives after a massive fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on the fifth floor of Prasad Hospital in Muzaffarpur district. However, as rescue operations are still underway, the death toll is feared to rise.
Preliminary reports indicate that the fire was caused by a short circuit, officials said.
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The fire department was immediately alerted at 3:55 AM, following which a team soon arrived at the scene. Upon reaching the site, around 20 people were evacuated from the ICU, and the remaining patients have been admitted to nearby hospitals.
According to the NDTV news report, Ram Niwas Pandey, an official from the fire department in Muzaffarpur, said, “We rescued 15-20 patients, 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”.
The situation became particularly alarming for patients admitted to the ICU, as many of them were undergoing treatment with the aid of ventilators and other life-support systems. The smoke caused severe breathing difficulties for the patients, leading to chaos and panic.
In response to this, Muzaffarpur District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen stated that approximately 13 patients were in the ICU, while several others had been admitted to the CCU. Nevertheless, appropriate action will be taken based on the investigation.
Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary expressed grief over the "tragic" deaths of four people and extended his condolences to the victims' families. Additionally, he announced a compensation of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased.
In a post on 'X' (formerly Twitter), CM wrote, “The local administration is fully alert, and appropriate arrangements have been made at the district hospitals for the treatment of the injured”.
