Maharashtra: Major fire in under-construction Nagpur hospital; no injuries reported
A major fire broke out in an under-construction hospital building located in a residential area close to the Nagpur railway station on Wednesday, officials said.
A major tragedy was averted as labourers working inside the under-construction building rushed out using staircases immediately after the blaze erupted, a fire official said.
No casualty has been reported so far but one person was admitted to a nearby hospital for inhalation of smoke.
The blaze occurred in the third floor of the ten-storey building at around 2 PM when interior works were underway, said Nagpur Municipal Corporation fire officer Rajendra Uchke. Uchke said the building interior work was going on when the fire started from the third floor auditorium where chairs were being fixed.
Though he did not specify the exact number of workers present in the building at the time of the incident, eye-witnesses said around 300 labourers were inside.
After the fire broke out, eight labourers got stuck inside due to heavy smoke for some time before they were rescued by fire personnel, he said.
He said sparks from welding might have triggered the blaze.
According to eye-witnesses, fire tenders had to enter the premises through the gate of the neighbouring LIC building, as a truck and some construction material blocked their access to the under-construction building. A total of eight fire tenders were pressed into service for dousing fire.
Meanwhile, as thick smoke enveloped the area, staffers of a high school adjacent to the building evacuated students as a precautionary measure.
Residents of nearby residential buildings also rushed out as smoke billowed out from the third floor of the under-construction building.
The flames were put out completely at around 3:30 PM.
(With inputs from PTI)
