A major fire broke out at the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospital in Noida on Thursday morning, engulfing the seven-storey building situated in Sector 24.
“Three fire tenders have been pressed into service. No loss of life or injuries have been reported, but the operation is still on,” said Ankur Agarwal, SP (City) Gautam Buddh Nagar. He said around 200 patients were in the hospital at the time of the incident. “All of them have been safely evacuated,” he said.
Local sources said more than fire, it was the smoke that created suffocation and panic. The patients had to spend time in the open before they were gradually shifted to nearby private hospitals and the government hospital. Some doctors have also been evacuated.
According to official sources, the fire started at the basement where there was a storeroom for medicines and a battery room. The cause of the fire is being ascertained.
