Lucknow, Dec 3 (IANS) A major fire broke out Thursday in the emergency ward of the well known Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here destroying drugs worth over Rs.10 lakh, medical equipment and other documents. No casualty was reported, officials said.
As many as 11 fire tenders were pressed into service. It took nearly three hours for the fire fighters to douse the flames.

“The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. But prima facie it appears the incident took place because of short circuit,” director SGPGIMS A.K. Bhatt told reporters.

“A committee has been constituted to probe the matter,” he added.

The fire engulfed the emergency ward of the hospital where a huge rush of patients and attendants was present.

“The evacuation of patients was a challenging task for us. However, with the help of our staff, we successfully managed to evacuate all the patients safely. Some attendants of patients also assisted us in evacuating patients,” said Bhatt.