Three dead, two injured after corridor roof collapses at Jamshedpur hospital
RANCHI: The roof of the corridor on the third floor of B-Block of the Medicine Ward of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jamshedpur collapsed, claiming the lives of three patients and injuring several others.
The debris from the collapse broke the ceiling of the second floor and crashed down to the first floor.
The deceased have been identified as David Johnson (76), Lukas Simon Tirkey (61) and Srichand Tanti (65). Sunil Kumar (50) and Renuka Devi (83) are critically injured. Renuka Devi has been shifted to the Tata Main Hospital (TMH).
The patients who lost their lives were treated in the verandah -- specified as the ward for abandoned patients in the medicine ward.
The incident happened at around 3 pm on May 3, shortly after a seminar concluded in the medicine ward hall.
A 30-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) started the rescue operation at around 11 pm.
According to officials, it took over 10 hours for the NDRF team and the fire brigade to pull out the dead bodies from the debris.
Jamshedpur Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal confirmed the death of three people due to the collapse of the roof of the corridor of MGM Hospital.
"The dead bodies of the three patients have been taken out of the debris. Meanwhile, the two injured are under treatment,” said the Deputy Commissioner.
"There were a total of 15 patients in the ward, out of which 12 patients are safe; relief and rescue work are still going on," he added.
The DC said that an inquiry has been ordered into the case.
Meanwhile, the DC said, an inquiry committee has been set up, headed by the Additional Deputy Collector (ADC), the Dhalbhum Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), engineers from the construction department, and the principal of MGMMCH.
"The committee has been directed to submit its report within the next 48 hours," he said.
State Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari announced Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.
During his visit to the hospital, Ansari assured that the old and dilapidated buildings of MGM Hospital will be demolished and new buildings will be constructed very soon.
The medicine ward building, constructed in 1960, had long shown signs of deterioration, with frequent cracks in the walls and ceiling, and plaster falling off over the years.