KENDRAPARA : A major fire broke out at the community health centre (CHC) in Indupur area of the district, on Saturday afternoon, causing extensive damage to equipment worth lakhs of rupees. Fortunately, around 35 patients were safely evacuated from the premises.
According to sources, the fire originated in a corner of a storeroom and quickly spread, engulfing the ground floor of the hospital. The flames ravaged the storeroom, canteen, OT, record room, and meeting hall, while hospital staff evacuated patients to safety. Two fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze.
Medical officer of CHC Dr Srikant Swain stated that hospital personnel acted immediately upon noticing smoke emanating from one of the rooms. Although the exact cause of the fire is under investigation, initial suspicion points to a possible short-circuit in the hospital’s storeroom. The chief district medical officer of Kendrapara, along with other officials, reached the place and took stock of the situation.