Shimla hospital fire: A massive fire broke out in the attic of the new OPD block of the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla on Thursday.
No casualty was reported. Fire brigade officials are carrying out operations to douse the fire.
Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Public Works Department) Sanjay Awasthi visited the medical facility after the incident and directed the medical superintendent of IGMCH to conduct an inquiry and submit the report at the earliest.
He said that leakage in the gas cylinders led to the fire and also directed the hospital administration to take strict action against the manager of the cafeteria for negligence.
The blasts occurred when OPD services had just started.
Within 15-20 minutes, about 250 people, including patients, were evacuated with the help of hospital staff and others, IGMCH Medical Superintendent Rahul Rao said.
No casualty was reported, he said, adding OPD services have been shifted to the old building for now.
The column of smoke from the building was visible from far away.
The two blasts took place in quick succession, triggering panic, eyewitnesses said.
"We received a call at 8:50 am and six fire tenders from the Mall Road, Chotta Shimla and Boileauganj were rushed to the spot and the fire was stopped from spreading," a fire official said.
The medical superintendent also said that four chambers of doctors, the cafeteria and three lifts have been damaged in the blaze and according to a preliminary estimate, the loss is over Rs 60 lakh.
Fire extinguishers and other equipment were available in the newly constructed building which were used to stop the fire from spreading, till the fire tenders arrived, health officials said.
(With PTI inputs)
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