Fire erupts in Noida hospital; no casualties reported

Noida: A fire broke out in Metro Hospital and Heart Institute in Noida on Thursday, trapping several people inside the multi-storeyed building, officials said. No casualty was reported in the incident, they said. 

Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh said more than 60 people were inside the hospital when the incident occurred. He said all were safe. “More than 40 patients have been shifted to Metro’s another hospital,” Singh said.

Around 10 fire tenders were rushed to spot and the situation was brought under control, fire department officials said. 

A policeman and a fire department official at the spot said the reason behind the incident was suspected to be due to short circuit. Another police official said the fire broke out on the second floor of the hospital around noon. 

The hospital authorities did not respond to repeated calls and text messages. Staffers tried to help patients out of the building in Noida, a suburban town in Uttar Pradesh on the outskirts of the national capital. 

Thick smoke could be seen billowing out of the building in Sector 12. People stood on ledges and on balconies as rescuers tried to reach them by smashing glass window panes. 

DM orders magisterial probe

Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire incident at Metro Hospitals and Heart Institute in Noida.

“I have ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. The city magistrate has been asked to submit his report within 15 days,” Singh said. 

Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Arun Kumar Singh said the hospital did not renew its fire licence from over five months.