Eighty-nine people were killed in a devastating fire at the Advanced Medical Research Institute (AMRI) Hospital at Dhakuria in south Kolkata early on Friday morning. It is feared the death toll may rise.
Post-mortem reports suggest a majority of the victims choked to death due to smoke billowing out of the hospital’s basement, from where the fire originated. The expensive private hospital lacked natural ventilation, which turned into a death trap for patients admitted there.
The original building plan showed that the basement was meant to be a car park, but the hospital management converted it into a pharmacy and godown, where highly inflammable chemicals were stored.
An incensed chief minister Mamata Banerjee openly blamed the hospital authorities for this “criminal negligence”. Taking a tough stand, she ordered the filing of criminal cases against them and ordered their arrest. In the afternoon six directors of the hospital group, R.S. Goenka, S.K. Todi, Manish Goenka, Prashant Goenka, Ravi Todi and D.N. Agarwal, surrendered at Lalbazar, the city police headquarters. They have been booked on charges of culpable homicide tantamount to murder under Section 304 of the IPC.
Ms Banerjee, who holds charge as health minister, also cancelled the hospital’s licence and registration.
The number of casualties could have been fewer had the hospital security staff allowed local residents to enter for rescue work immediately after the fire was detected at around 3 am. Undeterred, though, the plucky youth of neighbouring slums scaled the hospital’s rear boundary wall and jumped into rescue work. Unfortunately, it was too late by then. The fire swiftly started engulfing the upper floors one after another. It was only then that the police and fire brigade were informed. Thirty fire tenders and a Bronto skylift ladder were pressed into service. The Kolkata police disaster management group and state civil defence personnel were also rushed in.
By then, patients admitted to the ICCU, neurology, radiology and orthopaedics departments had died of burns and asphyxiation. Natio-nal Disaster Response Force personnel also came to check for any radiation leakage signs.
Angry family members of the deceased alleged that the hospital’s doctors and nurses had fled, leaving them to fend for themselves.
AMRI Hospitals senior vice-president Satyabrata Upadhyay confirmed the death of 70 patients and three staff members till 4 pm. “Ninety patients were rescued and shifted to various hospitals,” he said. The hospital announced compensation of `5 lakhs to the family of each of the deceased. The state government also announced compensation of `3 lakhs and the Centre `2 lakhs for each of those killed.