Fire Erupts at Anandalok Hospital in Kolkata, Prompting Patient Evacuations

Incident Overview

A significant fire broke out on the second floor of Anandalok Hospital located in Kolkata’s Salt Lake on Tuesday morning, leading to the swift evacuation of 70 patients, as reported by police.

Initial assessments indicate that the blaze may have been ignited by a short circuit in an air conditioning unit, quickly enveloping various wards in thick black smoke. Hospital staff and emergency personnel promptly initiated evacuation procedures as flames spread.

Evacuation Efforts

During the response, some evacuated patients were observed sitting on the streets outside the hospital while still receiving saline drips and attached to medical equipment. In the interest of safety, hospital authorities disabled the elevators and transferred patients to another Anandalok facility situated in the nearby DL Block.

At the time of the fire, the hospital was treating 70 patients, with fifteen surgical operations planned for the day. The fire incident transpired while the sixth surgery was underway.

Fire Response

The fire department quickly arrived on the scene, deploying two fire engines to address the situation. Firefighters worked diligently to contain the blaze, breaking windows to allow smoke to escape and to reach the fire’s source.

Hospital officials confirmed that all patients have been reported safe. According to their accounts, approximately 15-20 individuals were relocated during the initial minutes following the outbreak of the fire.

Communication with Families

As emergency responders worked to manage the situation, police and emergency staff utilized microphones to communicate updates to concerned relatives, striving to maintain order amid the chaos. The situation is currently being brought under control.