Amritsar: A fire broke out early this morning around 7:30 am at Amritsar Civil Hospital. The blaze started in a refrigerator in the hospital’s blood bank, which is located close to the children’s ward, causing panic among staff and patients.
Hospital staff rushed to the scene immediately after receiving the alert. To prevent smoke from spreading inside the hospital, the glass panels were broken, and all children from the affected ward—around 15 in number—were safely moved to another location. Fire extinguishers were used to bring the fire under control. Civil Surgeon Dr. Dhawan personally appreciated fire-fighting staff, including employee Manjinder, for their swift action.
According to Dr. Dhawan, the fire likely started when a refrigerator in the blood bank overheated. It caused minor damage to nearby refrigerators. The staff acted promptly, alerted everyone in the vicinity, and evacuated the children. Cleaning staff member Vandana said that once they were informed, all personnel immediately joined efforts to contain the fire, break the glass to prevent gas accumulation, and secure the ground floor. It took nearly two hours to fully control the fire, preventing further damage.
