Patient moved during fire at Khulna Medical dies

A patient has died during the evacuation at Khulna Medical College Hospital in response to a fire.

Five people, including several nurses, have been injured in their attempt to leap or hurry to safety to escape the blaze.

Three units of the Fire Service rushed to the hospital around 5:30am on Wednesday after receiving reports of a fire on the third floor of a four-storey building at the hospital. Later, seven more units joined the firefighting operation.

Assistant Director of the Fire Service Masud Sardar said firefighters were able to tame the flames after about an hour of effort.

Dr Dilip Kumar Kundu, in-charge of the Intensive Care Unit at Khulna Medical, said that a short circuit caused the fire in a room next to the old ICU unit. Old clothes and some equipment were kept inside.

After the fire spread, several oxygen cylinders and an old air conditioner exploded. This damaged a part of the wall and spread thick smoke throughout the area.

Dilip said, “Fifteen patients in the ICU were quickly evacuated. One of them died before the fire broke out. Another patient died while she was being moved.”

A ward boy at the hospital identified the deceased as Nasrin Nahar, 30, who hailed from Khulna’s Koyra Upazila.

“She was admitted to the hospital yesterday. It is believed that she died due to a lack of oxygen when her mask came off as everyone rushed out in the morning out of fear of the fire.”

The injured have been identified as hospital staff member Saidur Rahman, 50, senior staff nurses Naureen, Dipali and Sharmin, and a Fire Service member named Touhid.

Patients and their relatives were sleeping when the fire broke out at the hospital. As the smoke spread, it sparked panic throughout the facility.

Many patients and their relatives left their beds and rushed out at the sound of the explosion. They crowded the field and road in front of the hospital. Some were seen crying in fear and panic.

Fire Service officer Masud said they initially believe the fire started from an electrical short circuit. An investigation is under way to assess the extent of the damage.