Gas Leak triggers panic at Sahajahanpur Medical College Hospital

Shahjahanpur: A gas leak at the Government Medical College Hospital in Shahjahanpur on Sunday sparked chaos and fear among patients and hospital staff, resulting in a stampede-like situation.

The incident occurred around 4 PM when smoke was seen billowing out of the operating theatre (OT) located in the trauma centre of the hospital. Initial reports suggested that the leak may have resulted from a malfunction at the plant, although some reports attributed it to the release of formalin fumes. The cause of the leakage remains under investigation.

According to hospital officials, the situation was swiftly brought under control with the intervention of fire tenders, which sprayed a neutralising agent. Following the incident, police cordoned off the affected areas and assisted in evacuating patients. Despite the swift response, the panic led to the death of one patient.

Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Principal of Shahjahanpur Medical College, clarified that the deceased patient was already in critical condition due to tuberculosis.

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District Magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh and Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi promptly visited the medical facility to assess the situation. Speaking to TOI, the DM said, "There are several instruments in the OT, which are sanitised using formalin. Possibly, the bottle might have opened, or it spread through the fan due to excessive use. There was no loss of life in the incident."

According to the news reports, eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes, with patients struggling to breathe and fleeing from wards in a state of panic. At the time of the incident, around 200 patients were admitted to the hospital. Many, they said, were knocked to the ground by others frantically trying to escape the premises following the leakage.

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Speaking to Deccan Herald, District officials said that the situation was quickly brought under control and that normalcy had returned. Videos appearing on social media showed patients lying in the galleries of the hospital.