delhi

Updated: Jul 13, 2019 09:33 IST

Panic spread among patients and staffers after a fire broke out in the operation theatre of ESI (Employees’ State Insurance) hospital in west Delhi’s Basai Darapur near Bali Nagar Friday morning.

Six patients, who were trapped in the recovery room next to the operation theatre, were rescued by firefighters and hospital staff. All of them were waiting for their surgery when the fire broke out around 9am. A few of them complained of uneasiness after inhaling smoke, police said.

Nobody was injured in the blaze that was controlled within half an hour. Six fire tenders were sent to douse the flames, chief fire officer Atul Garg said.

“ No surgery was going on in the operation theatre when the fire started. We have learnt that the fire broke out because of a short-circuit in one of the surgical light heads. The exact cause of the fire will be known after a police inquiry,” Garg said.