The fire at AIIMS broke out near the emergency ward. (Express photo/Somya Lakhani)
A major fire broke out near the emergency ward at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on Saturday. No casualties were reported in the incident. As many as 34 fire tenders arrived at the spot as the fire broke out on the second floor of the hospital at the PC block. The non-patients’ block consists of doctors’ rooms, research labs, etc.
The fire started at around 5 pm from the Microbiology department and thick plumes of smoke billowed from the building, sparking panic among patients, attendants and staff, and affecting emergency services.
VIDEO | Fire breaks out at Delhi’s AIIMS, no casualty reported
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“There was no fire at any ward. The emergency lab has been affected. There were no patients inside the lab at the time of the incident,” AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said. Read in Bangla here.
Dark plumes of smoke were seen billowing out from the top of the premier health institute. (Express photo/Somya Lakhani)
“The fire at Teaching Block of AIIMS has been put off completely,” the hospital said in a statement later.
As a precautionary measure, patients in the AB wing were temporarily shifted to the other wings of the hospital.
Taking to Twitter, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “The fire in AIIMS building will be brought under control at the earliest. Fire Service trying it’s best to extinguish the fire. I appeal to everyone to maintain calm and allow the Fire Services personnel to do their work.”
At least 34 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. (Express photo/Praveen Khanna)
Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan personally monitored the efforts on-site regarding the fire and also regarding patient care. The minister also discussed the need to conduct a special fire audit in future.
Former finance minister Arun Jaitley is admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the cardio-neuro centre, housed in a different building in the complex.
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