Lucknow Hospital Fire: 1 dead, 1 critical, 200 rescued

A major disaster was averted on Monday night when a fire broke out on the second floor of the government-run Lokbandhu Hospital in Lucknow. While 200 patients were safely evacuated, one patient died and another remains in critical condition.

The fire broke out in a section of the hospital that includes the female medicine ward, ICU, and HDU. Due to the Ambedkar Jayanti holiday, most administrative officials were not present at the time of the incident. Approximately 40 to 50 patients and their attendants were on the affected floor.

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Eyewitnesses reported that the fire quickly filled the hospital with smoke, and many on-duty doctors and staff fled the scene. Remarkably, attendants took the initiative to rescue patients, carrying them on their backs to safety.

The fire brigade arrived shortly after, breaking glass to enter the building and evacuating people using staircases and cranes.

According to hospital authorities, 200 patients have since been shifted to other hospitals across the city.

One patient, Rajkumar Prajapati (61), who was admitted to the ICU, died due to the shutdown of the oxygen supply. Another patient, 26-year-old Kanti, remains in critical condition and is currently undergoing treatment at the Trauma Center.

The incident occurred at around 9:25 PM. Dr Ajay Shankar Tripathi, Chief Medical Superintendent of the hospital, confirmed that a short circuit appears to be the cause of the fire, based on preliminary investigations.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited the hospital late Monday night and ordered an inquiry into the incident. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also taken cognizance of the matter.