Gas Leak at Shahjahanpur District Hospital Triggers Panic, Official Says 'No Casualties'
District Magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh said an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the circumstances of the death of a patient with lung ailment though it does not appear to be linked to the incident.
A chaos erupted at the Government Medical College in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday after a gas leak in the oxygen plant led to panic among patients and staff.
The gas leak led to breathing difficulties amng patients, prompting them to flee the wards in a desperate bid to escape. The people were evacuated out of the hospital ward.
Eyewitnesses said there were chaos as people facing trouble breathing scrambled for safety, some slipping or being knocked over in the rush. However, officials denied reports of several patients getting injured during the commotion.
The local authorities were quick to respond to the situation. Police teams reached the scene shortly after receiving the alert and cordoned off the area around the plant.
District Magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh said an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the circumstances of the death of a patient with lung ailment though it does not appear to be linked to the incident.
As per news agency PTI, the trouble began at around 5 pm when some people in the hospital complained of a gas leak. However, officials said that the scare may have been caused by the smell of formalin gas, which is used in medical facilities, possibly leaking from the operation theatre.
"Our fire brigade and police teams reached the spot immediately. No loss of life or injury has been reported,” he said.
The officials, quoting the eyewitnesses, said said that there was a fire, prompting attendants to rush the patients out of the hospital, resulting in a stampede-like situation.
Initial reports suggested that one person died as a result of the stampede following the gas leak, adding that some others were injured in the incident. However, District Magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh, reacting to the report of death, said the patient was suffering from a lung-related ailment and there was no evidence linking the death to the episode.
Investigators have launched a probe into the incident, with early reports suggesting a malfunction in the oxygen facility may have triggered the leak.
Principal of the Government Medical College Rajesh Kumar told PTI that the smell of formalin - a chemical used for anaesthesia and preservation - was detected near the trauma centre's operation theatre.
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