At least five people, including a doctor couple – Dr Vikash Hazra (75) and Dr Prema Hazra, were killed due to asphyxiation in a fire which broke out in the store room of Arti Memorial nursing home in Dhanbad early in the morning on Saturday.
Others who got killed in the fire include Dr Hazra’s nephew and two other hospital staffs.
According to the eyewitnesses, the fire broke out in the store room, located beside the doctor’s residence on the top floor of the hospital, late last night.
It is believed that the fire in the store room gradually spread to the adjacent rooms causing smoke in the doctor’s residential complex. Fortunately, none of the patients admitted to the hospital were affected.
Officials also confirmed that the fire was spotted at around 2 am in the store room at the second-floor which later spread to the first floor based residential complex which did not give enough time to Dr Hazra and others to run away from there. Initial investigation revealed that the fire was caused due to short –circuit.
“Prima facie it appears that the fire broke out in the store room due to short circuit. The investigation is still on and the deceased are being identified,” said SDM Prem Kumar Tiwari.
Meanwhile, police confirmed five deaths saying that 9 others have been rescued with the help of fire fighters and local administration. All of them have been admitted to Patliputra Nursing Home.
“All five persons were found unconscious in their rooms and later they were declared dead,” said a police official. One pet dog of Dr Hazra also got killed in the incident, he said. Notably, six tenders were roped in to dodge the fire.
Dr Hazra’s brother informed that Saraswati Puja was being celebrated at a large scale and their relatives and other people from their native village from Nadia district of West Bengal had also come on the occasion.
Notably, Dr Hazra was the senior most gynecologist in the state and his nursing home is considered the oldest in Dhanbad.
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