At least six people, including a boy, lost their lives in a fire at a private hospital in Chennai on Thursday, police and Fire Department officials said. The incident took place on Thursday night at the City Hospital on Trichy Road.
The victims were found unconscious in a lift and were immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead by doctors.
The cause of death was determined to be suffocation, and Fire and Rescue Services personnel discovered the victims after evacuating around 30 patients from the hospital. The evacuated individuals were then admitted to the district’s Government Hospital, officials said.
“A fire broke out at a private hospital about two hours ago. The patients here have been rescued and admitted to nearby government and private hospitals,” Dindigul District Collector MN Poongodi told news agency ANI.
Initial investigations by the police suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. TV footage showed smoke and flames rising from the hospital, with fire trucks deployed to control the blaze.
