Live Updates:
- Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha. The tragedy is mind-numbing. My thoughts are with bereaved families. Spoke to Minister JP Nadda and asked him to facilitate transfer of all those injured to AIIMS. Hope the injured recover quickly. PM Modi
- The fire, suspected to have originated from the dialysis ward on the first floor, quickly spread to other areas, including the ICU on the same floor, of the four-storey hospital building.
- The commissionerate of police and fire brigade personnel along with volunteers and hospital staff launched a massive rescue operation as more than 500 in-door patients were trapped in the fire, a hospital source said.
- At least seven fire tenders were pressed into service to control the blaze and over a dozen ambulances had been deployed to shift the critical patients to other hospitals.
- Many patients were rescued by breaking window panes, said an eye witnesses.
- "We have launched the fire fighting as well as rescue operation in a big way. The personnel of three fire stations of Bhubaneswar were engaged in the operation," Director General, Fire Service, B Behera said.
- Though the fire was suspected to have erupted due to an electric short circuit, the exact reason would be ascertained after a thorough probe, he said.
- "I jumped down from the first floor where my father is being treated. I do not know what happened to my father and other patients," said Jyoti Prakash, adding that he could not proceed due to thick smoke.