Fire at AIIMS forces evacuation of patients

New Delhi: A fire broke out at the teaching block of the AIIMS here on Saturday, destroying samples and medical reports and forcing evacuation of some patients, though no one was injured, officials said.

Patients from some floors of the AB ward, close to the Microbiology department where the blaze started at around 5 pm, were evacuated along with those in operation theatres above it as the smoke spread, they said, adding the fire was doused within two hours.

A Delhi Fire Services Department (DFS) official said 22 fire tenders were rushed to the site after they received a call.

The Microbiology department's virology unit on the second floor of the teaching block has been completely gutted, sources said.

Former Finance minister Arun Jaitley is admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the cardio-neuro centre, housed in a different building in the complex.

Several prominent leaders have been visiting the hospital for the past few days to enquire about his health. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "I appeal to everyone to maintain calm and allow the Fire Services personnel to do their work."

A fire department official said there was no casualty in the blaze. Sources said the fire spread to the Emergency Lab in the department of Lab Medicine, which is adjacent to the Microbiology department's virology unit, where electricity work was going on for some time and cable and wire being used were kept, they said.