‘Overheating of heavyduty refrigerator led to the fire’
Safety equipment installed at Trauma Centre a ‘showpiece’
Overheating of a heavy-duty refrigerator in the store room on the second floor led to the fire at the KGMU’s Trauma Centre on Saturday evening, said the district administration’s report, which was submitted to the government here on Tuesday.
“Due to the overheating of the refrigerator, the plastic bottles and hardboard boxes kept nearby caught fire, turning the second floor into a fireball,” the report said.
Besides, laxity of the KGMU’s staff led to the chaotic situation after the blaze, it suggested.
The 22-point report was submitted by the divisional commissioner on the orders of the chief minister (CM). It was prepared by a team comprising the district magistrate, SSP, chief fire safety and electrical safety officer.
The report not only highlighted the causes of the fire, but also underlined the poor fire safety arrangements at the hospital. Poor fire safety equipment and ill-trained staff failed to minimise the damage that had put the lives of hundreds of ailing patient at risk, stated the report.
It was also mentioned (in the report) that the fire department had earlier served many notices to the KGMU, directing the medical university to make enhanced fire safety arrangements at the hospital. But, the KGMU turned a blind eye towards the intimations from the fire department.
The probe report also termed the safety equipment installed at the Trauma Centre a ‘show piece’.
“Fire safety equipments at the Trauma Centre were no less than show pieces. Things like hosepipes and others were not functional,” the report said.
The report also had a suggestion column through which it directed the hospital to upgrade fire safety arrangements on the campus. The district magistrate and SSP also directed that the Trauma Centre should immediately install fire alarm system on its premises and train staff to tackle fire incidents.
On Saturday, a major fire broke out at the KGMU’s Trauma Centre. Doctors, paramedics, attendants and security personnel had a tough time evacuating about 200 critical patients amidst the smoke.
The evacuation process continued till late in the night. The district administration claimed two deaths so far in the incident. But unconfirmed reports put the toll at eight.