Probe ordered into Odisha cancer hospital fire mishap

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Oct 17:

A day after a major fire claimed a minor’s life during evacuation and property worth lakhs were gutted at the Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Research Centre (AHRCRC) here, a three-member committee was formed today to probe into the matter.

The internal probe committee headed by Superintendent Prof Padmalaya Devi has been asked to submit the report within three days.

The other two members of the inquiry committee are—Dr Jyotishankar Mishra and Dr Pratap Mishra.

The hospital director ordered an inquiry today after the fire mishap yesterday evening that broke out reportedly due to electrical short circuit in the centralised air conditioning system.

Soon after the incident, Cuttack District Collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra and Additional District Magistrate rushed to the spot yesterday and the former had ordered an administrative probe into the incident.

Notably, a fire broke out yesterday evening in the female ward on the third floor of the premier cancer hospital in which a 12-year-old boy undergoing treatment at the hospital died. However, the exact reason of his death during evacuation was yet to be ascertained.

The fire broke out at around 5 pm on the third floor of the new building housing the operation theatre (OT) and female ward of the hospital.

Four fire tenders were pressed into service to contain the fire. The fire officials acted promptly to minimise the damage to the premier hospital and bring the fire under control.

The indoor patients were evacuated from the entire building of the new hospital and moved to safety.