Woman patient dies, 10 hurt in Dehradun hospital fire

Dehradun, May 20 (PTI): A 60-year-old female patient and 10 others were injured after a fire broke out in the ICU of Panacea Hospital on Haridwar Road here on Wednesday, police said.

Three police personnel involved in the rescue operation were also hospitalised after they complained of burning sensations, suffocation, breathing difficulties and fainting, an official said.

The deceased Veeravati Devi, a resident of Balliwala in Dehradun, was on ventilator support in the ICU at the time of the incident, police said.

According to police, the fire broke out following an explosion caused by a short circuit in an air conditioner inside the private hospital's ICU.

The official said fire tenders and police teams rushed to the spot and carried out rescue operations amid heavy smoke and gas leakage, evacuating patients from the ICU while dousing the blaze.

Several patients suffered breathing problems and oxygen deprivation due to the smoke and gas, and were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, police said.

Among the injured were a two-and-a-half-year-old girl and a newborn infant, they said.

Rajiv Swarup, Inspector General of Police (Garhwal), said preliminary findings indicate the fire was caused by a short circuit, though a detailed investigation into the incident is underway.

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