Mumbai:
A fire broke out at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial hospital in Mumbai's Parel area this afternoon. No casualties were reported and five fire engines brought the blaze under control in less than two hours since it began around 3 pm.
"Our first fire engine reached the spot within 12 minutes. We spotted smoke in the area but initially couldn't find the location of the fire. We wore breathing apparatus and then searched the entire area for about an hour and a half," said a fire department official.
The fire started at the room that contained hospital records and was located in the basement of an adjoining building that was under construction.
There were no casualties as the building was empty at the time. However, patients from the adjoining building were evacuated and taken to a safer location due to the smoke.
Hospital Union officials demanded an inquiry be carried out to find out the reason for the fire as crucial records related to day to day administration of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial hospital were burnt in the blaze.
"We have not yet been able to locate the source of the fire. We will constitute a committee and find out the reason," assured JP Gupta, commissioner of ESIS hospitals.