Fire at hospital's mother and child hub, no casualties

Darjeeling: A fire broke out in the mother and child hub of the Cooch Behar Government Medical College and Hospital.

However, all the mothers and infants are safe.

They have been shifted to a building in the Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Hospital.

Panic engulfed the Mother and Child hub of the hospital as a fire broke out in the ward at around 9:20 am on Thursday.

Fire broke out from the machine room of the ward located on the first floor of the building. Black smoke was seen coming out of the room triggering panic in the

ward.

Seeing the fire, local residents, nurses, hospital staff and BSF personnel who were present in the OPD for treatment pitched in to evacuate the patients.

About 149 infants and 111 mothers were in the ward at the time of the fire.

Three fire engines were rushed to tend the fire. Kaushik Saha, District Magistrate and Sanjay Pal, SDO, Sadar rushed to the spot.

"Fire personnel, nurses, hospital staff and local residents together safely evacuated all the mothers and infants from the ward. All are safe and sound. We have formed a 11 member committee to investigate into the matter. They will hand in their report within 15 days" stated the district magistrate.

Though cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained it is believed to be an electric fire.