Panic on KGMU campus after firein its underconstruction building

LUCKNOW: Panic triggered among patients, doctors and hospital staff when an under-construction building belonging to the psychiatry department of King George's Medical University caught fire on Thursday afternoon.
The fire originated from the wooden shuttering and quickly spread, consuming the fourth and fifth floors, which were still under construction.
A stampede-like situation was caused on the hospital's first floor that serves as the Outpatients' department. Fortunately, the number of patients present was relatively low compared to the daily influx of 300-400 patients seeking consultations as the incident took place during the last hour of operation.
While no injuries were reported, the cause of fire is under investigation, with initial suspicions pointing to cooking or welding work performed by the labourers.
Talking to TOI, Vipul, the Incharge of the OPD ticketing process, stated that the incident unfolded around 1:45 pm on Thursday when smoke was observed emanating from the fifth-floor shuttering of the OPD. An attendant promptly informed the staff and patients, almost 50 individuals, who swiftly evacuated the area and alerted the KGMU fire safety team.
However, by 2pm, the flames had already engulfed both the fourth and fifth floors. The KGMU fire safety team and staff immediately contacted the fire department, resulting in their arrival within 10 minutes. It took the combined efforts of 10 fire tenders and a hydra machine approximately one hour to extinguish the fire, he added.
Sony, the daughter of one of the on-duty workers, witnessed the chaotic scene, with people shouting and evacuating the building in a state of panic. She expressed her relief that the fire did not spread to other departments, recognizing that the situation could have been far more severe. Kavya Singh, an attendant accompanying her brother to the OPD, raised concerns about the absence of sprinklers and fire alarms in the building. She emphasized the urgency of installing such safety equipment to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In response to these concerns, KGMU spokesperson Dr Sudhir Singh, said, "Fire safety instruments are typically installed during the finishing stage of a building. However, an investigation has been ordered to determine the cause of the fire."
"Preliminary findings suggest that food cooked by the labourers caused the fire. We are examining the reasons,"said an official.