Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) – About 70 people died, most of them patients, when a fire swept through a seven-story hospital in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, the healthcare facility said in an e-mail statement.
The fire, which started in the basement of the building at about 3:30 a.m. today, was brought under control about three hours later, AMRI Hospitals said in the statement. The healthcare chain is part-owned by Kolkata-based Emami Group, a maker of cosmetics, massage oils and cosmetic cream.
Television images showed firemen using ladders, smashing window panes and rescuing trapped patients with ropes tied around them. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal of which Kolkata is the capital, described the negligence as a “serious offense,” ordered the cancelation of its license and vowed harsh punishment to those found guilty of causing the tragedy.
The hospital, which followed stringent fire and safety measures, is extending “all possible treatment” to patients, the AMRI said in a statement.
–Editors: Sam Nagarajan, Arijit Ghosh
To contact the reporters on this story: Bibhudatta Pradhan in New Delhi at [email protected]; Pradipta Mukherjee in Kolkata at [email protected]
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Sam Nagarajan at [email protected]
Re: 70 Killed in Hospital Fire in Indian City of Kolkata
so sad that sick people who couldnt help themselves died helplessly.
this kind of mishap was only the matter of time in kolkata which never paid attention to its infrastructure and disaster management.
i hope some heads roll so this never happens in the future.
Re: 70 Killed in Hospital Fire in Indian City of Kolkata
go build more high rises with no idea how to avoid and prevent such risks. go sell more cars with no idea where the roads are going to come from for all the cars to drive to.
Until 10 years ago Indians were late for everything because they didn' have cars. Now they are late because they have cars.
I am so sick of the corruption and lack of practical thinking amongst Indian governments.
Re: 70 Killed in Hospital Fire in Indian City of Kolkata
^ accidents like this will probably affect new building rules and help in future prevention of accidents/casualties, that is if people want to learn from accidents.
Re: 70 Killed in Hospital Fire in Indian City of Kolkata
go build more high rises with no idea how to avoid and prevent such risks. go sell more cars with no idea where the roads are going to come from for all the cars to drive to.
Until 10 years ago Indians were late for everything because they didn' have cars. Now they are late because they have cars.
I am so sick of the corruption and lack of practical thinking amongst Indian governments.
true , hardly specifications and standards are followed , overcrowding and lack of inadequate facilities for disaster management result in such events.
Re: 70 Killed in Hospital Fire in Indian City of Kolkata
^ accidents like this will probably affect new building rules and help in future prevention of accidents/casualties, that is if people want to learn from accidents.
that is the whole point. how many more disasters do we need to start learning.
Re: 70 Killed in Hospital Fire in Indian City of Kolkata
South Asian countries need to stop being the dumping grounds for the West's military hardware and killing machines.
Maybe then there will be plenty of financial resources left over to spend on infrastructure, education, health and the general betterment of the common man's life.