A pre-dawn fire at Prasad Hospital triggered a major rescue operation, forcing authorities to evacuate critical patients and launch an investigation into safety lapses.
Fire department personnel and emergency vehicles outside Prasad Hospital in Muzaffarpur after a fire broke out in the ICU, killing at least three patients on Thursday. Photo: X/@Index_Muz
Three people were killed and several others injured after a fire tore through a private hospital in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur on Thursday, triggering scenes of panic as patients, attendants and medical staff rushed to safety.
The fire broke out at Prasad Hospital, a well-known healthcare facility in North Bihar’s Brahampura area. With the ICU believed to be the point of origin, the blaze quickly filled parts of the hospital with smoke, leaving some critically ill patients trapped and prompting a large-scale rescue operation. Authorities have ordered an investigation into the incident.
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Confirming the fatalities, Muzaffarpur District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen said multiple patients remain in critical condition and have been shifted to other hospitals for treatment. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation.
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The incident unfolded amid scenes of panic as patients, attendants and hospital staff rushed to escape the smoke-filled premises. While many were evacuated in time, the ICU emerged as the worst-affected section of the hospital.
According to hospital authorities, the fire is suspected to have started due to a short circuit inside the ICU. Within minutes, smoke had spread across parts of the building, reducing visibility and creating panic among patients, attendants and staff.
Residents of the area alerted the fire department, after which several fire tenders reached the hospital. Firefighters worked for hours to bring the situation under control.
The rescue operation continued alongside firefighting efforts. Ambulances kept moving in and out of the hospital as patients were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment. Those requiring urgent treatment were referred to other hospitals in the city.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes, with anxious family members searching for relatives amid confusion and uncertainty.
Fire Department official Ram Niwas Pandey said the exact extent of casualties was still being verified.
“As of now, the deaths of two individuals have been confirmed; however, it is difficult to ascertain the exact death toll at this moment. Several patients may have lost their lives due to smoke inhalation and asphyxiation within the ICU caused by the fire. We are striving to gather all relevant details as quickly as possible,” he said.
Authorities later confirmed the death toll had risen to three.
The district administration has launched a comprehensive inquiry into the incident, while hospital authorities said they would cooperate fully with investigators and have initiated an internal probe.
Fire department officials said preliminary findings suggest the blaze may have spread quickly because of inadequate fire safety measures in the ICU. However, they stressed that the exact cause will only be known after the investigation is completed.
Prasad Hospital is among the better-known private healthcare institutions in North Bihar and caters to patients from across the region. The tragedy has reignited concerns about compliance with fire safety norms in private hospitals.
Relatives of some patients alleged that emergency safety measures were either delayed or insufficient, worsening the impact of the incident.
Police, administrative officials and fire personnel continued inspection and debris-clearing operations late into the evening. Authorities were also trying to ascertain the whereabouts of some patients amid fears that the toll could rise further.
The tragedy comes a day after a deadly fire at a hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar left 21 people dead and several others injured.
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