Fire breaks out at AH GMC Rajouri; patients evacuated, no casuality reported.

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

SHYAM SOOD

No loss of life or injury reported; loss to hospital property.

*Hospital staff, doctors and attendants acted swiftly to evacuate patients.

*DC Abhishek Sharma personally supervised the entire operation.

*GMC Principal initiated inquiry into alleged flaws in AH GMC’s Fire Safety System.

RAJOURI, MAR 18:-A fire broke out at the Government Medical College (GMC) Associated Hospital (AH GMC) in Rajouri on Tuesday, leading to the evacuation of several patients. The incident occurred around 9:30 AM in the basement of the OPD block due to unknown reasons. The fire was brought under control within an hour, and fortunately, no casualties were reported.
Fire engines were deployed to extinguish the blaze. Upon receiving news of the fire, DC Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma (IAS), personally reached the spot and supervised the entire operation.
According to the DC, an investigation will be conducted to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether it was accidental or intentional.
Abhishek Sharma stated that he assessed the situation by visiting the hospital with his team, with a priority to restore normal functioning, including OPD services, as quickly as possible.
He praised the hospital staff and volunteers who worked swiftly to contain the fire. Firefighters successfully limited the fire to the basement area before it could spread to other wards.
The news of the fire created panic within the hospital. Patients and their attendants were distressed, running in all directions. People who heard about the fire from outside also rushed to the hospital.
“Patients admitted to the emergency or other wards were evacuated because smoke was spreading, which could cause breathing problems for some patients. To ensure their safety, the patients were moved outside but were continuously monitored by doctors. As the smoke subsided, the patients were gradually shifted back into the hospital,” said Abhishek Sharma.
Those evacuated from the hospital reported feeling terrified by the incident, expressing that if they had not been evacuated quickly, the smoke itself could have been fatal.

The fire incident at AH GMC Rajouri revealed serious flaws in the hospital’s internal fire safety system. During the incident, no fire alarms were triggered, no fire sensors responded, and the special water pipeline installed for fire safety did not work effectively, except for the functioning of water sprinklers.
Prof. (Dr.) A.S. Bhatia noted that the failure of the hospital’s internal fire safety system has been taken seriously, and an investigation will be conducted. “After the incident, a thorough inspection of the entire hospital was conducted to identify areas vulnerable to fire hazards. The fire safety system will be strengthened in such areas, and the overall internal fire safety system of GMC Rajouri will be improved,” he said.
Meanwhile, through an order (No. GMCR/2024-25/4524-29), Principal GMC Prof. (Dr.) A.S. Bhatia has constituted an inquiry committee with MS AH GMC, Dr. Shamim Choudhary as Member Secretary, including members Dr. Javed Iqbal (HoD Paediatrics), Dr. Jameel-Ul-Hassan (General Medicine), Dr. Shuja Qadri (HoD Community Medicine), and AEE (Mechanical Division Rajouri).
DC Rajouri Abhishek Sharma also stated that an investigation would be conducted to determine why the hospital’s internal fire safety system failed to operate.
Prof. (Dr.) A.S. Bhatia stated that the basement of the OPD, where the fire broke out, is used to store dead stock meant for auction, and it is an area with minimal traffic.
“There is no chance of a short circuit as the material dumped in the basement is in an isolated area. The fire might have been caused by a partially burnt bidi or cigarette being thrown in the area, even though smoking is strictly prohibited in the hospital,” he added. However, this is only speculation, and the exact cause is yet to be confirmed.
Prof. Bhatia also stated that staff members will be given special training to operate the fire safety system effectively, ensuring that they can prevent major incidents in the future.