Tamil Nadu: Six killed in Dindigul hospital fire, over 20 injured

Pic/PTI

The Dindigul district Superintendent of Police said that as many as six people lost their lives in the fire accident that occurred at a private hospital in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul on Thursday night, reported news agency ANI.

All the six were found unconscious in a lift, they said. They were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead by doctors.

The victims suffocated to death and the Fire and Rescue Services personnel found them inside the lift after evacuating about 30 in-patients of the hospital. The evacuated persons have been admitted in the nearby hospitals, the officials told PTI.

According to PTI, the Dindigul hospital fire was suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, police said citing initial probe.

More than three fire engines and over 10 ambulances were deployed to rescue patients trapped inside the hospital in the Gandhi Nagar area near the Dindigul-Trichy highway, a senior official said.

According to Dindigul District Collector MN Poongodi, the patients have been rescued and admitted to other hospitals.

"A fire broke out at a private hospital. The patients here have been rescued and admitted to nearby government and private hospitals," the District Collector told ANI.

Major fire at snacks manufacturing unit in Rajkot, no casualties

A major fire broke out at a snacks manufacturing factory on the outskirts of Rajkot city in Gujarat on Wednesday afternoon, officials said, adding that no one was injured, reported PTI.

As many as 14 fire tenders were pressed into service after the fire started at Gopal Snacks factory in Metoda industrial area around 2 pm, said Sub Divisional Magistrate of Rajkot Rural, Vimalkirti Chakravarti, reported PTI.

Bipin Hadvani, the firm's MD, said flames were first reported in the cellar and spread quickly because of the raw materials stored there.

As Wednesday is a holiday in Metoda industrial area, there were very few workers on the premises, he said.

"We have deployed 14 fire tenders to douse the fire which is still raging, and it may take another five to six hours to be put out completely. The fire has engulfed the production and packaging unit. As per preliminary probe, a spark from an electric wire started the fire," said Chakravarti, reported PTI.

The employees who were inside quickly got out after being alerted and nobody was injured, he said.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)