Elderly patient dies after fire triggers panic at nursing home

Siliguri: Panic gripped Hakimpara in Siliguri on Thursday night after a fire broke out at a private nursing home, leading to chaos among patients and their families. Amid the commotion, a 70-year-old patient reportedly died. The patient’s family alleged that the panic caused by the fire led to his death.

The deceased has been identified as Kanti Basfor, a resident of Ashrampara, Siliguri. According to family members, Basfor was admitted to the ICU for treatment of gallstones.

Vinod Basfor, the deceased’s son-in-law, said: “He was admitted due to gall bladder stones. He was in the ICU. He died out of fear after the fire broke out.”

The fire, suspected to have originated from a short circuit, affected a dialysis room at the ground floor of the nursing home. Several chemical-filled containers were reportedly stored in the room, which caused dense smoke to spread through the building.

Two fire engines were rushed to the spot. Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control and evacuated patients from the upper floors to safety. The firefighters had a tough time evacuating the patients as the smoke was dense. However, the incident sparked serious allegations. Family members of another patient claimed that the nurses abandoned patients during the fire and that no fire extinguishers were used by the nursing home staff.

In this regard, Apurba Kumar Das, a fire officer said: “The nursing home had fire extinguishers, but there was a lack of trained staff to operate them. As a result, they could not be used. However, we brought the fire under control.”

The nursing home authorities have denied all allegations, stating that all necessary measures were taken to ensure patient safety. Following the incident, medical services at the facility have been temporarily suspended. Investigation into the incident has been started.