Minor fire sparks panic in Safdarjung Hospital

The hospital authorities said a small fire sparked by a short circuit in the research laboratory on the fifth floor was noticed at 7.40 pm. They said a call was made to the fire control room,following which six fire-tenders were rushed to the spot.

The Fire officials said fire-tenders from Bhikaji Cama Place and Jorbagh were immediately sent to the hospital. The smoke alarm of the hospital did create panic among some employees,but no one was injured,police said.

“An oven overheated as it was switched on for a long time. This triggered a short circuit and a minor fire. But there was lot of smoke,which triggered the fire alarm. The flames were doused in 20 minutes,” an official said.

Hospital authorities said since the fire broke out in a lab,no patient was affected. Officials said the building has research labs,including the HIV testing lab. The facility was shut after 4 pm.

Police said they were awaiting a report from the Fire authorities to rule out foul play.

In May,a similar fire was reported in the hospital building housing the operation theatres. The cause was a short circuit. Since no surgery was scheduled when the fire broke out,no one was injured.

Authorities said efforts were on to improve the fire prevention mechanism in the hospital.