Cuttack, March 16: At least ten patients lost their lives following a major fire that broke out in the Trauma Care ICU of the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack during the early hours of Monday. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who arrived at the facility to oversee the situation, stated that the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit. He affirmed that 23 patients were present in the affected units at the time, with seven dying in the blaze and three others succumbing to burns or suffocation during the evacuation process.
The rescue efforts saw significant bravery from hospital staff, with 11 medical officials sustaining injuries while moving patients to safety. Chief Minister Majhi declared a judicial probe into the incident and asserted that the Director General of Fire Services has been directed to conduct an immediate inquiry. He maintained that strict action would be taken against any individuals found guilty of negligence once the investigation is complete.
In response to the tragedy, the state government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased person. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences, declaring an additional relief of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured. The Chief Minister affirmed that the government has already provisioned significant funds in the current and upcoming budgets to upgrade fire-fighting equipment across all state medical facilities.
Witnesses at the scene described a harrowing situation where the power supply failed twice before dense smoke filled the ICU. While fire service personnel arrived within 20 minutes to douse the flames, relatives and medical staff worked together to break windows and rescue the critically ill. Health and Family Welfare Secretary Swasthya S stated that the current priority remains providing the best possible treatment to the 13 injured individuals, five of whom are reported to be in critical condition.
