11 die in fire at hotel-turned-Covid-19 facility in Vijayawada

Most of them suffocated and passed away in their sleep

virus-cells-coronavirus-copy-space-virus-Covid-19-shut Representational image

A fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday in a budget hotel-turned-Covid-19 care centre in Vijayawada city in Andhra Pradesh claiming the lives of 11 people.

Swarna Palace hotel located in the older parts of Vijayawada has been taken over by Ramesh Hospitals to cater to the growing number of Covid-19 patients in the city. Only mild symptomatic patients were given beds at the makeshift hospital.

According to the district administration, there were around 30 patients and a dozen staff inside the five-storied building during the time of the incident.

Fire department officials received a call at 5.09 am informing them about the raging fire inside the hotel. The officials estimate that the fire must have started at around 4.30 am on the ground floor which has only reception and no guest rooms. By the time fire engines arrived at the property, the flames spread to the first and second floor.

Six fire engines were pressed into service to douse the flames. The firemen who started the rescue operations found that most of the people on the first two floors were still in their beds and passed away due to suffocation. The casualties increased because the fire broke out in the early hours when most of the occupants were in deep sleep. Only one person lost his life after suffering burn injuries.

The fire was brought under control within 45 minutes. Those occupying rooms on the fourth and fifth floor and also those who escaped to the upper floors were safe.

One of the first to detect the fire, Pawan Sai Kishan was a patient lodged on the third floor of the building. “I cannot express in words what I went through. As soon as I saw the thick smoke engulfing the floors, I broke open the window and started shouting for help. I also called the fire and police helpline. They saved me in time.”

As per the preliminary investigation, the cause of the fire was attributed to a short circuit. The wooden flooring, waste dump and electronic items on the ground and other floors fuelled the spread, according to the fire officials.

A few staff members and patients have been shifted to a local hospital and their condition is said to be stable. Around 35 fire personnel who took part in the rescue operations and came in close contact with the patients have been sent to quarantine.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakhs to the families of those who lose their lives in the accident. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the incident and the CM had also briefed him over a phone call.

Krishna District Collector Mohd Imtiyaz said that they have launched a probe into the incident and strict action will be initiated based on the findings.

According to health department officials, the private hospital management did have permissions to operate the centre. However, officials are verifying if the building had necessary fire safety norms in place.

Fire safety director Jairam Naik said that Swarna Palace hotel has violated fire safety rules. “The alarm bell didn’t ring at the time of the accident and there was delay in opening the back door. Investigation has been initiated and there will be action against the hotel management.”

Concerned revenue officials lodged a police complaint against the hospital blaming the managements of the hotel and the hospital for the incident. According to the complaint, the management of the hotel were aware that electrical defects in the premises but avoided rectifying it since it involved huge expenses.

The revenue department also pointed out that Ramesh hospitals was well aware of the issue but still went ahead and opened the facility.

Acting on the complaint, Vijayawada police registered an FIR and filed cases under various sections.