New Delhi: A fire broke out in the endoscopy room, located near the emergency department of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi on Monday morning. Eight fire tenders were pressed into service and the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes. The AIIMS administration managed to evacuate all the patients and staff from the area.
The hospital officials said that 31 patients of AB-2 ward were shifted to ICU and AB-7 ward while 70 patients were shifted from the emergency area to other areas.
According to a release issued by the hospital, "Visible fire and dense smoke were observed emerging out from the sceond floor....Necessary instructions on plan of evacuation, admission procedures including emergency services were given." No casualties or injuries were reported and efforts are being made to restore normalcy in medical services at the earliest, it further read.
According to sources, the fire is likely to be due to short circuit in the endoscopy room that is on the second floor of the old Outpatient Department (OPD) building. The fire was doused by the firefighters. The fire services department received a call from the emergency ward of the hospital at 11.54 am today. All patients along with the staff were shifted from the endoscopy room and the vicinity area. Eight fire tenders rushed to the spot and fire fighters took around half an hour to douse the flames.
The emergency ward has been temporarily closed after the fire. Patients who are coming to the emergency ward at AIIMS Delhi are being asked to go to Safdarjung Hospital. The families of the patients are being informed at the hospital gate itself.
The hospital management said that the fire is presently under control and the director is at the spot. The fire services officials said that the fire has been brought under control but they were still continuing the search operation.
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The incident came a week after a massive fire broke out in a factory in Delhi's Mayapuri area. Sixteen fire tenders were pressed into service and no casualties were reported. In May, another fire broke out in Narela industrial area in Delhi.
