Short Circuit Blamed for Blaze on Fifth Floor; Families Allege Fire Safety Systems Had Failed
Key Points:
- Four patients die of suffocation in ICU fire at Prasad Hospital, Muzaffarpur
- Short circuit suspected; families allege fire safety system was non-functional
- DM, SSP rush to site; fire department probe underway
MUZAFFARPUR — A devastating fire broke out at Prasad Hospital in the Brahmpura police station area of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, killing four patients who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit on the building’s fifth floor.
The blaze is believed to have originated from a short circuit. Within moments of ignition, thick smoke filled the entire ICU ward. The speed of the fire’s spread triggered panic across the hospital building.
Patients and their attendants managed to escape by whatever means available. However, those already admitted to the ICU had no means of quick escape. They were trapped amid the rapidly thickening smoke. Suffocation is being considered the primary cause of the four deaths, according to the fire department.
Nearly half a dozen fire brigade vehicles reached the spot after receiving the alert. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after considerable effort. Meanwhile, other patients in the hospital were evacuated and shifted to nearby medical facilities.
Senior district administration officials, the District Magistrate, and the Senior Superintendent of Police also arrived at the scene. They assessed the situation on the ground. In addition, they spoke with the families of the victims and assured them of all possible assistance.
Families of the deceased levelled serious allegations against the hospital management. They claimed that the hospital’s fire safety systems were not functional at the time of the incident. Moreover, they alleged that safety norms had been consistently overlooked, and that this negligence directly led to the tragedy. Similar allegations of hospital negligence have surfaced across the region in recent times.
Fire department official Ram Niwas Pandey said the incident was under investigation. He added that the exact death toll and the precise cause of the fire would be confirmed only after a thorough probe. The hospital management expressed grief over the tragedy. It also said it was extending full cooperation to the administration in its investigation.
Across Bihar, the incident has triggered demands for regular fire safety audits of private hospitals. Local residents at the site demanded mandatory and periodic inspection of fire safety and security standards at all private medical institutions.
