Theni hospital patients evacuated after fire breaks out in shed

MADURAI: A fire broke out in a shed, used for storing disinfection materials, in Theni Medical College Hospital on Friday. No casualties were reported.
Patients, including those in the isolation ward and nearby blocks in the hospital, were evacuated.
Theni Medical College dean M Ilangovan said the fire had broken out in a shed outside the hospital premises.
“As there were a lot of inflammable materials and plastics, the fire produced a lot of smoke which came into the isolation ward that is adjacent to the godown.We shifted all the 18 patients to a safer place,” he said.
Patients were shifted back to their beds only after the fire was completely extinguished, he added. Hospital authorities were in the process of taking stock of materials destroyed by the fire.
A source said an electrical short circuit could be the reason for the fire. Many people complained of breathing difficulties due to the fire as the burnt disinfection materials emanated gas.
The fire was noticed at 7.15am.
Fire and rescue services department was alerted. “Three fire tenders from Andipatti and Theni fire stations rushed to the spot by 7.30am,” said district fire officer (DFO) J Kavitha.
A third team from Bodi joined them by 8am. Though the fire was put out in 20 minutes, it took more than an hour for 12 fire fighters to clear the smoke.
Materials in the shed included bleaching powder, papers and plastic buckets. Though the situation was brought under control by 9am, mild smoke kept emanating until afternoon.
Three firefighters -- Suresh, Karuppasamy and Vignesh -- suffered breathing difficulties. They were admitted to the same hospital and were out of danger.
Deputy director of fire and rescue services (southern region) P Saravana Kumar inspected the spot and conducted inquiries.
Hospital authorities took stock of the materials that were destroyed in the fire.