A tragic fire at City Hospital in Chennai on Thursday night claimed the lives of six people, including a child, due to suffocation, authorities confirmed. The incident unfolded at the hospital situated on Trichy Road, sending shockwaves through the community.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel found the victims unconscious in a hospital lift while evacuating around 30 patients. They were immediately transported to a nearby government hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead. Officials identified suffocation as the primary cause of death.
Dindigul District Collector MN Poongodi, speaking to ANI, confirmed the rescue efforts, stating, “A fire broke out at a private hospital about two hours ago. The patients here have been rescued and admitted to nearby government and private hospitals.”
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire might have been caused by an electrical short circuit. Television footage captured harrowing scenes of smoke and flames billowing from the hospital, with fire trucks deployed to douse the blaze.
The City Hospital incident is a stark reminder of the deadly risks posed by fire safety lapses in healthcare facilities. This tragedy follows a similar incident in November at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, where 11 newborns perished in a fire at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
A safety audit conducted at the Jhansi hospital five months prior to the fire had flagged serious hazards, including exposed wiring and open junction boxes, but no corrective measures were taken. The June 2024 audit report, prepared by a two-member team from the electricity safety department, identified critical vulnerabilities across several hospital departments.
The Tamil Nadu hospital fire raises urgent questions about compliance with fire safety protocols in healthcare institutions across the country. It underscores the need for stringent enforcement of safety audits and timely rectification of identified risks to prevent further loss of life.
Authorities are expected to investigate the City Hospital incident thoroughly to determine accountability and prevent similar tragedies in the future.