PATNA: An FIR has been registered and three employees, including a doctor, have been arrested in connection with a major fire that broke out at a private hospital in Muzaffarpur in north Bihar in the early hours of Thursday.
The death toll in the incident rose to six after another victim died during treatment on Friday. On Thursday, five patients were killed and 17 others were injured. The injured are being treated at different hospitals in Muzaffarpur and Patna.
City SP, Muzaffarpur, Mohibullah Ansari, said on Friday that the doctor on duty in the ICU, the administrative manager and the maintenance manager have been arrested. Initial investigations found their roles to be suspicious.
Members of the special investigation team are questioning them and probing other aspects of the case. The death toll in the fire tragedy at Prasad Hospital rose to six on Friday after another patient, who was rescued from a smoke-filled ICU, died during treatment at a separate hospital.
Muzaffarpur District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen confirmed the sixth death in the blaze. The deceased has been identified as Brajnandan Rai from Kurhani block in Muzaffarpur district. He was among several critically ill patients evacuated from the hospital after smoke filled the ICU following a suspected short circuit.
Police said the investigation is underway and action will be taken against the hospital owner if necessary. At least 17 injured patients are undergoing treatment in various hospitals.
A team of doctors is continuously monitoring the condition of patients, as several of them remain critically injured. Patients and their relatives were suddenly engulfed in flames and smoke, causing panic throughout the hospital.
With the help of locals, the fire brigade and rescue teams, many patients were safely evacuated, but some sustained serious burns. Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against the hospital management at the Brahmapura police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Initial investigations have revealed negligence and recklessness in safety standards. The district administration has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the incident. An ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh has been provided by the government for the victims’ families, as per policy.
Meanwhile, state Health Minister Nishant Kumar abruptly cancelled his Delhi tour and returned to Patna on Friday. He later visited Jayaprabha Medanta Hospital in Patna to meet patients of the Muzaffarpur fire tragedy. He said that he would ensure better treatment for the injured.
