Panic spread as a fire broke out in Gandhi Hospital on Thursday. Sources said that discarded mattresses, which had been dumped in an empty space, had caught fire when someone threw a cigarette on them.
Smoke engulfed the whole hospital causing discomfort to patients.
The flames, which rose up to 10 feet, erupted at around 1 pm. Fire-fighters took about seven hours to douse it. “Though the fire was under control, the stack kept emitting smoke and fire every now and then,” said district fire officer Sudhakar Reddy.
Gandhi Hospital superintendent Dr S. Mahboob said, “The worn-out and discarded mattresses were moved from a cellar to the empty space only a few days ago. Since it is not possible to collect wastes in one go, bio-medical waste management people were removing three to four mattresses at a time.”
It took two fire engines and 10 water tankers to put off the flames completely. The task became more tedious as the mattresses were of sponge and coir.
The fire broke out in an empty space in front of the Labour ward, risking the lives of patients and new-borns. However, Dr Mahboob denied any such complaints from patients.