10 Covid sufferers killed after fireplace in hospital situated in Mumbai mall

At least 10 sufferers being handled for Covid-19 at Sunrise Hospital have been killed after a fireplace broke out in Dreams Mall in Bhandup West in Mumbai late on Thursday evening. The hospital is situated on the third flooring of the mall. It began operations in October 2020.
Bodies of two different sufferers, who died of Covid-19 a number of hours earlier than the hearth broke out, have been additionally recovered.
The fireplace began on the primary flooring of the mall, and smoke unfold to the higher flooring. The hospital, significantly its intensive care unit, was badly affected. Seven of the sufferers who died as a result of fireplace have been within the ICU; the opposite three have been within the wards. All have been on oxygen assist. Officials mentioned they died of asphyxiation because of smoke inhalation.
The hospital had 78 sufferers. All, together with the lifeless, have been accounted for. None of the rescued sustained any accidents as a result of fireplace.
The premises had undergone two separate fireplace audits performed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) — of personal hospitals in addition to industrial malls — over the past six months. The fireplace audit of Dreams Mall performed on the finish of 2020 revealed that it had a non-functional fireplace security system and its fireplace exits have been blocked. A discover was despatched to the mall for the hearth security violations. However, the mall has not submitted a compliance report until date, a senior fireplace brigade official mentioned.

An identical audit was performed to guage the hearth security of Sunrise Hospital this 12 months, Dr Vilas Mohekar, medical officer of S ward, mentioned. He mentioned the hospital was compliant with all fireplace security norms.
A salon proprietor who has a unit within the mall mentioned, “The fire spread fast. There were many mini blasts thereafter. A group of shopkeepers have repeatedly complained about the fire hazard inside the mall; however, no action was taken.”
Nurse Soni Sambhal mentioned they have been alerted by the hearth alarm system. “Then smoke started coming in. We ran into the normal ward and asked all patients to run to the assembly point near the terrace on the third floor. They were all Covid-19 patients, but stable,” she mentioned.
After 50 minutes, a fireplace brigade crane accessed the third flooring and began rescuing these gathered on the terrace. “Our staff carried some patients who could not walk because they were covered in bedsheets,” Sambhal mentioned. “But there were several critical in ICU or on ventilator support. We could not rescue all of them. At one point there was so much smoke, we could not see anything around,” she mentioned.
Sambhal herself fainted after she was rescued by the hearth brigade. She has been admitted to Saarthi hospital in Bhandup.
Most retailers in Dreams Mall are shut due to losses incurred throughout the pandemic. The 257-bed hospital had probably the most variety of folks in your entire mall.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited the mall on Friday. “An inquiry will be ordered. If there is any negligence or delay, it will be investigated and action will be taken against those who are responsible,” Thackeray mentioned.
The Chief Minister expressed remorse that lives couldn’t be saved and apologised to the kin of the lifeless. He additionally introduced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the following of kin of all of the lifeless.
Thackeray mentioned that within the current previous, he had given directions to hold out structural and fireplace audits of Covid-19 care centres and discipline hospitals within the state. “I had asked (the authorities) to ensure such incidents do not occur. Still, unfortunately, this has taken place… I express regret to those who have lost their kin in the incident,” he mentioned in Marathi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the lack of lives within the incident. “Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire at a hospital in Mumbai. I pray that the injured recover soon,” he mentioned.
The fireplace, categorized as ‘Level 4’, broke out in one of many retailers on the primary flooring of the four-storey, glass-façade constructing round midnight. A firefighter on the web site mentioned, “Most of the patients that we rescued had been brought to the refuge area (on the third floor) of the hospital.” Firemen broke glass panes on the third flooring to launch the smoke.

Of the 30 sufferers shifted to the Mulund jumbo facility, 14 had been within the ICU at Sunrise and have been in want of oxygen assist. “14 patients of the 30 shifted here required critical care. At least four of them were dialysis patients. Two patients who had severe breathlessness were shifted to Seven Hills hospital,” mentioned Dr Pradeep Angre, dean, Mulund Jumbo centre.
Those who have been rescued have been in secure situation and will stroll.
“The casualties were because of asphyxiation. One patient came gasping but died before we could start treatment. Old age was also a big factor, all those who died were elderly,” mentioned Dr Vikrant Tikone, medical superintendent in MT Agrawal hospital.
Harish Karamchand Sachdeva (60) was on oxygen assist in intensive care. His physique was discovered within the hospital ward. So was Mahadev Shankar Iyer’s physique, who was aged 79 and on oxygen assist. Shyam Bhaktani (78) was admitted on Thursday, and in addition required oxygen. He was additionally discovered lifeless within the hospital ward.
Fire extinguishing operations have been underway till late on Friday.