Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - HT Navi Mumbai Live
9 Covid patients killed in fire at mall housing hosp
Firefighting system was not functional; mall was issued notice in Nov 2020
MUMBAI: Nine senior citizens suffering from Covid-19, six of whom were on ventilator support, died as a level four fire broke out at Dreams Mall in Bhandup, which housed Sunrise Hospital, on Thursday night. The cause of the fire is not known yet.
The fire, which began on the first floor of the mall around 11.45pm, soon spread to the upper three floors. The hospital was located on the third floor. The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) officials said the firefighting system, including the sprinklers inside the mall, were non-functional owing to which the fire spread to the upper floors. The fire brigade said they had issued a notice to the mall for non-compliance with safety norms in November 2020. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray who visited the spot has ordered an inquiry into the incident and announced ₹5 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has again ordered a fire audit of all Covid-19 hospitals and health centres and Mumbai. Mayor Kishori Pednekar had also ordered inquiry into how a Covid hospital was allowed to be run inside a mall.
Thackeray said, “The hospital had temporary permission, which was due to end on March 31 .... Some people who were on ventilators could not be saved. I ask for forgiveness from their families.”
At the time of going to press, there was no clarity on the cause of death – suffocation or lack of ventilator support – of the nine patients. Before the incident, two patients died of Covid in the hospital. The hospital has confirmed the deaths were not related to the fire. In a statement, the hospital said,
“All fire alarms beeped and hence all patients were safely evacuated to the fire refuge area... and shifted to a jumbo Covid centre (and some to other private hospitals). There were few patients on ventilator and critical. We believe the casualties have not occurred due to fire, but either in transit or at other hospitals.”
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner of the BMC, said, “The hospital had all permissions, including the fire no-objection certificate. The victims had no burns.”