“Five fire tenders have been pressed into service to contain the blaze. Rescue operations are underway. More fire engines could be used,” informed Binay Behera, D G Fire Services.
Unconfirmed reports said 22 patients have died while several others have been injured during the evacuation process.
While 14 patients shifted to Capital Hospital have died, eight out of 37 patients shifted to AMRI Hospital have died, the reports added.
“Fire has been reported on one floor of the hospital building. Almost all patients have been shifted to safety. Patients on ventilator have been shifted. All patients in ICU have been shifted,” informed Dr. Basant Pati, deputy superintendent Sum Hospital.
As many as 13 ‘108 ambulances’ and few ambulances of other hospitals have been pressed into service to shift patients to Capital Hospital and three private hospitals, reports said.
Twin City Police Commissioner Y B Khurania and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Bhubaneswar) Satyabrata Bhoi are present on the spot supervising rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Health and Family Welfare Secretary Arti Ahuja has ordered an inquiry into the incident of fire at the hospital.
Ahuja said the inquiry committee will have Director Medical Education and Training (DMET), Fire Safety Officer and Khordha Collector as its members. She said the committee will inquire into the cause of the fire and whether there was any lapse on the part of the hospital authorities.
Further, Ahuja has put authorities of Capital Hospital, SCB Medical College and Hospital and other hospitals on alert in view of critical patients being shifted from Sum Hospital to these hospitals.
Khordha Collector Niranjan Sahu is present at the Capital Hospital overseeing treatment of critical patients being shifted from Sum Hospital.