TV
A major fire broke out at the Pujuriguda Community Health Centre (CHC) in Umerkote block of Nabarangpur district, Odisha, on Tuesday. The blaze was reportedly triggered due to an electrical short circuit, but the authorities are yet to confirm.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported in the fire mishap at the hospital.
The fire reportedly started in the oxygen cylinder storage area of the health centre. Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion, potentially the sound of a cylinder rupturing. This prompted immediate action from healthcare staff, who quickly alerted the hospital supervisor.
Emergency Response:
Initial attempts by the hospital personnel to extinguish the fire proved ineffective, leading to a call for the fire brigade. Subsequently, a team of Firefighters arrived promptly and managed to control the situation. As of now, the full extent of the damage caused by the fire is yet to be assessed.
Investigation Underway:
Authorities have initiated an investigation to confirm the cause of the fire and evaluate the safety measures in place at the health centre to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Odisha has witnessed several fire incidents in hospitals in recent years, raising concerns about fire safety measures. On July 13, 2024, a fire broke out in the ICU of a private hospital in Cuttack, which later spread to another nursing home treating newborn babies. All patients were safely evacuated and shifted to other hospitals.
To address the recurring issue of hospital fires, the Odisha government has been working on the implementation of stricter fire safety norms. This includes mandatory fire safety audits, regular inspections, and the upgrading of firefighting equipment in all healthcare facilities.
