Massive fire at hospital in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul claims six lives, most died while being trapped in a lift

The dead include a couple and a mother and son; most died due to asphyxiation caused due to the smoke.

The fire was suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. (PTI photo)

A fire at a private four-story hospital in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul late Thursday night claimed the lives of six people, including a child and two women, and left several others injured. The fire, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, trapped several patients and staff of the City Ortho Hospital on the Dindigul-Trichy National Highway.

The fire broke out around 9 pm, with flames and thick smoke originating near the hospital’s entrance and rapidly spreading throughout the building. Witnesses described scenes of panic and desperation as rescue teams worked to evacuate nearly 100 people from the smoke-filled facility.

Among the dead were five individuals who had been trapped in an elevator on the hospital’s ground floor, unable to escape as the smoke overwhelmed them. Preliminary reports suggest that suffocation was the cause of their deaths, although official confirmation from medical authorities is pending.

The victims have been identified as Suruli, 50, and his wife, Subbulakshmi, 45, a couple from the neighbouring Theni district; Mariammal, 50, and her son, Mani Murugan, 28; Rajasekar, 35; and a six-year-old girl, all residents of Dindigul district. Their bodies were transported to the Dindigul Medical College Hospital for postmortem examinations.

Emergency responders, including three fire engines, 50 ambulances, and local police teams, reached the scene. Firefighters battled for over two hours and extinguished the fire by 11 pm. Rescue personnel evacuated approximately 30 in-patients, with 29 of them transferred to government and private hospitals nearby. Of the injured, three were reported to be in critical condition and are currently on ventilator support at the Dindigul Medical College Hospital.

“We are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the fire, but it is suspected to have started due to a short circuit near the entrance,” said M N Poongodi, the district collector of Dindigul, during a late-night press briefing. “All patients have been rescued and shifted to safety. A medical team from Madurai has been deployed to assist the injured.”

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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