While the massive overnight fire at Bone and Joint Hospital Barzulla in uptown Srinagar caused extensive damage to the hospital building, officials on Saturday said a bigger tragedy could have unfolded had the 150 oxygen gas cylinders at the hospital not been removed in time.
The fire that broke out at around 9:30 pm on Friday gutted the top story of the hospital, however there was no loss of life or injury to the patients, who were safely evacuated to other hospitals.
News agency quoted Divisional Fire Officer Tassaduq Ahmad saying that soon after receiving information regarding the fire incident, fire engines were rushed to the spot.
“First and foremost we took measures regarding evacuation of patients,” he said, adding, “A major tragedy would have happened because there was a gas bank with almost 150 oxygen cylinders there.”
Tassaduq said that the personnel from the fire and emergency department assisted by local volunteers’ swung into action and immediately took out gas cylinders and shifted them to safer places, thus preventing blasts.
He said as soon as the firefighters reached the spot, the entire building was in flames. “We requisitioned more reinforcements from the entire Srinagar city and then only we were able to contain the fire,” he said, adding, “It was a hectic operation.”
Except for one of the personnel of the fire and emergency department, no one sustained injury in the blaze, he said. The personnel has been hospitalized, he said.
The fire, which was brought under control after several hours, resulted in panic among the patients, scores of their attendants and hospital staff. As per officials there were 113 patients in IPD alone while one of the patients was being operated upon at the time of the blaze and he too was safely evacuated as per a senior doctor of the hospital.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Mian Suhail Sultan said that except for damages to emergency OT, Faculty sitting rooms and spinal centre data, everything else including the record room is safe.
The Health & Medical Education Department said that reasons as to why the incident happened despite “regular fire safety audits and adequate measures” are being ascertained.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Mohammad Aijaz Asad said investigations as regards reason for fire are underway. “Once the report is received, we will be in a better position to say what the reasons were for the fire,” he added.