Tension ran high at Serampore Walsh Hospital in Hooghly after a fire broke out at the operation theater this morning. None was, however, injured in the incident.
The incident triggered panic among patients and their family members who were there at the hospital at the time of the incident. The local people spotted smoke billowing out of the operation theater at around 11.30 am on Sunday.
The staff of the hospital, however, managed to move the patients to safety from the various departments. After being informed, two fire tenders were pressed into action to douse the flames.
The incident occurred when the doctors and some nursing staff were preparing to conduct a surgery on a patient.
A staff of the hospital switched on a fan. Within few seconds, the room was filled with smoke. The staff turned off the main switch of the operation theater and the patient who was supposed to undergo a surgery, was taken to a safer place of the hospital by the nurses.
According to the preliminary investigation, the fire brigade officials suspect that an electrical short circuit might have caused the fire.
The fire could have soon spread if the switch was not turned off on time. Police also reached the spot and started a joint probe into the incident.
The fire engines brought the situation under control within an hour. However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.