In a deadly fire which broke out one early hours on Friday 9th December 2011 at AMRI hosipital caused at least 89 patients death. Six directors of the hospital were taken into custody after they reached Lalbazar police headquarters to face police interrogation.
AMRI a joint venture of Emami group and Srachi group owned by RS Goenka and SK Todi respectively, which prides itself on its super specialty facilities and attracts several foreigners, turned into a tinderbox as the sealed windows and glass led to the smoke being trapped, making it difficult for people to escape causing 89 deaths.
According to a hospital source, more than 80 per cent of the patients admitted to the ICCU and ITU of the hospital are feared dead. Some of the bodies have already been identified. Meanwhile, the AMRI hospital has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
"Cans of diesel and petrol are kept at the hospital basement. They are used as fuel for the generators," a hospital employee told rediff.com on condition of anonymity, adding, "Those cans fanned a minor fire into a disaster."
The worst affected were the ICU patients who did not die of burns but due to asphyxiation. Experts have said that since the hospital building is surrounded by a glass facade, the accumulated gas could not escape causing so many deaths. Had there been an escape route for the gas, many deaths could have been prevented.
Firemen using ladders smashed window panes in the facade to rescue patients trapped inside the ICU, ICCU, ITU and Critical Care units. The sky lift came only around 7 am.
"They (firemen) came with manual ladders. Had the sky lift come earlier, many people could have been saved. There are around 160 patients inside. All are dead...so is my father-in-law," said an anguished Sarkar.
