Around 70 coronavirus patients were evacuated while 10 others died after a fire broke out at Dreams Mall Sunrise Hospital in Mumbai’s Bhandup area shortly after Friday midnight.
This comes at a time when the financial capital is grappling with an upsurge in COVID-19 cases, with the city recording its highest 5,504 new infections on Thursday.
The fire reportedly broke out around 12:30 am at the hospital which is situated on the third floor of the five-storeyed mall building. Many patients, even including those being treated for COVID-19, were at the hospital when the fire broke out, officials said. A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Earlier, police officer Prashant Kadam had said: “A level-3 or level-4 fire broke out on the first floor of a mall at 12:30 am.”
Around 20 fire engines, 15 water tankers and ambulances were rushed to the fire spot. An official said that patients were evacuated by fire personnel and shifted to another hospital.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, who visited the site, expressed surprise that a hospital was operating inside a mall. “I have seen a hospital at a mall for the first time.” She said action will be taken if irregularities were found in allowing the facility to operate there.
“Seventy patients including those COVID-19-infected have been shifted to another hospital,” she said.
The Sunrise Hospital, in a statement on Friday, said the fire broke out in the first floor of Dreams Mall and the smoke reached up to the Sunrise Hospital located at the top floor.
“All fire alarms beeped and hence all patients were safely evacuated due to the smoke to the fire refuge area. There were two dead bodies (due to Covid), which were also evacuated. There was no casualty due to fire. (sic),” it said.
“All patients were promptly shifted to Jumbo Covid Centre (and some to other private hospitals). We are grateful to Mumbai fire brigade and to Mumbai Police for helping us save lives. This hospital was started in exceptional circumstances of Covid last year and has helped in saving many patients from Covid deaths.”
“It is functioning with all due compliances like fire license, nursing home licence. The hospital staff did a fantastic job in safely evacuating patients on wheel chairs and beds to the refuge areas and by following the fire drills,” reports quoted the hospital as saying.