Madurai GRH: Fire breaks out, 113 kids evacuated

MADURAI: A sudden fire that broke out at the stock room of the Institute of Child Health and Research Centre in the Government Rajaji hospital (GRH) on Sunday evening created panic among the parents who have admitted their children there.The fire broke out at 5.55 pm inside a stock room situated on the first floor of the block that houses the children’s ward. Initially, the fire was noticed only in one part of the room, but within 15 minutes, the flames engulfed the entire room.The hospital authorities immediately evacuated 113 children undergoing treatment in sections 42 and 43 of the Children’s Ward. Meanwhile, they alerted the Thallakulam Fire Service station at 6 pm. Three fire tenders rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire after two hours, said K Karuppiah, district fire officer.“The door to the stock room, where cloth material was stocked, was found locked. As the room was filled with smoke, we couldn’t enter inside,” he said adding that then they extinguished it after a two-hour fight.The senior fire officer said that. They had already examined the hospital and submitted a report recommending to the hospital authorities to install fire safety measures. So far, the authorities have not installed them, he pointed out. Meanwhile, senior doctors of the GRH said the children were moved to Wards 306 and 307. The situation is under control.