Kolkata: Fire at SSKM Hospital brings back nightmare

Kolkata: A major fire broke out in a building of the SSKM, the lone state-run super-speciality hospital in West Bengal, Monday morning, bringing back the memories of AMRI catastrophe five years ago. There was, however, no casualty and all 70 patients inside were safely evacuated.

“The fire has been put out,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee said after overseeing fire fighting operations at the hospital, which lasted over an hour. “There is no report of any injury, all patients are safe,” she told reporters.

Ms Banerjee, whose Kalighat home is about two kilometres away from the hospital, rushed with other ministers, and ordered the police, fire brigade and health department to jointly investigate to find out “whether the library was set on fire deliberately”. “The accountability will be fixed whoever is responsible,” she said, adding that some patients had to be shifted to other places.

The fire started at around 11.00 am inside a library on the sixth floor of Ronald Ross building within the hospital complex in south Kolkata. Several medical books and documents stored there were gutted in the blaze. The tin shed of a mobile tower, installed close to the library, got melted from the heat.

Many claimed they heard a sound of explosion close to the mobile tower minutes before the fire broke out. The situation escalated when flames started spreading out, although they did not reach the mobile tower.

Some patients found themselves trapped on the top floor where plastic surgery (male) ward is located, and were seen waving through the windows, calling for help.

Those who had come to the outdoor of the orthopaedic ward on the ground floor fled in panic.

Initially, five fire engines were pressed into service but more had to be brought in as they did not have enough water and equipment to reach the roof, people whose relatives were undergoing treatment alleged. After over an hour, fire brigade officials using 19 fire tenders and a hydraulic ladder took control of the situation. Officials suspect that a short circuit may have caused the fire.

The CM later announced, “Since SSKM is a big hospital, we are making arrangements to station two fire tenders and a ladder here permanently from Tuesday. I have earmarked some locations. A fire officer, a police officer and a hospital official will be posted at the emergency control to respond to any problem as the Bangur Institute of Neurology and Shambhu Nath Pandit Hospital are located nearby.”

Director General (fire and emergency services) Sanjoy Mukherjee later said that work towards stationing the two fire engines would start Monday night.