United News of Bangladesh

A fire broke out on the third floor of Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) early Wednesday, triggering panic among patients, attendants and staff and leaving several people injured during a chaotic evacuation. The fire originated around 6:00am in a store room on the third floor of the four-storey hospital building, officials said. Dense smoke quickly spread to nearby areas, including operation theatres and post-operative wards, forcing staff to rush patients through emergency exits, witnesses said. Critical patients were also evacuated from the ICU as the situation worsened, hospital sources said. Panic spread rapidly through the facility as patients and attendants rushed to safety. Several people were injured during the evacuation, including hospital staff Saidur Rahman, senior staff nurses Noorain, Dipali and Sharmin, and Fire Service member Touhid. Two nurses were later admitted to a private hospital’s ICU after falling ill from smoke inhalation, while another nurse sustained injuries while descending from the third floor. Fire Service officials said 10 units brought the blaze under control after about an hour-long operation. Initial firefighting efforts faced difficulties as several gates were found locked and had to be forced open to access the affected areas. Firefighters also rescued a few people from balconies during the operation. Khulna Fire Service Assistant Director Masud Sardar said three units from Boyra initially responded, later joined by seven more units, confirming that the fire was confined to the store room. Hospital sources said most patients were asleep when the fire broke out. Equipment in the operation theatre was reportedly damaged while many patients and attendants later left the hospital or shifted patients to other facilities. KMCH Resident Medical Officer Dr Hossain Ali said the fire may have originated from a short circuit or air-conditioner malfunction, though the exact cause will be confirmed after investigation. An inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the fire and assess the extent of damage.