Muzaffarpur Hospital Fire: How 95-Year-Old ICU Patient Saved Several Lives After Noticing Blaze In Her Ward

Jagran Correspondent, Muzaffarpur | 95-year-old woman, Radha Devi, became the talk of the town in Muzaffarpur for her heroic action at a critical time. Her prompt action saved several lives after the Prasad Hospital in the city caught fire in the wee hours of Thursday. Devi, a resident of Chhapra Megh village in the Mushhari block, noticed the flame while she was herself admitted to the ICU.

She was admitted to the hospital's ICU after suffering from high blood pressure and breathing problems. On Thursday morning, while she was awake, thick smoke suddenly began to billow from a short circuit in the ICU.

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In such a horrific scene, where even the bravest of people would panic, the 95-year-old grandmother displayed remarkable courage. Undeterred, she immediately removed the oxygen mask from her mouth, pulled out the saline (glucose) needle from her arm, and got up from the stretcher and ran outside.

Informed About Flame To On-Duty Nurse

Despite being unable to walk, Devi somehow stumbled out of the ICU and informed the on-duty nurse about the fire inside. Following Devi's warning, the hospital administration immediately swung into action, quickly evacuating other patients and informing the fire brigade. Had the grandmother not shown courage and awakened the staff in time, the tragedy could have been even more devastating.

"As soon as the fire broke out, it became completely dark. How could I tell you how it started? I ran out as the smoke spread and told Madam, who then went inside and checked," she recalled.

Devi Goes Missing For 3 Hours

Amidst the chaos that erupted in the hospital after the incident, Devi managed to save herself by taking shelter in another safe room. Meanwhile, her son and family members, who were outside, wept inconsolably, fearing that their mother might have been caught in the fire.

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After nearly three hours of frantic search, the family members were relieved when they saw Devi sitting safely. They then took her home safely.

ICU At Fifth Floor Catches Fire

The fire incident occurred at the renowned Prasad Hospital in Brahmapur. The fire broke out at around 3:30 am on Thursday morning in the ICU located on the fifth floor of the hospital due to a short circuit.

As soon as the fire broke out, the entire hospital complex was filled with screams and chaos. Ambulances continued to rush through the streets, frantically shifting critically ill patients to various other hospitals in the city.

Five Patients Die In The Incident

A total of five patients have died due to suffocation and burn injuries in this massive fire. Initially, four people were confirmed dead, but later, a severely burned female patient, Chanchala Devi, was admitted to ASAV Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The five deceased in the accident have been identified as follows:

1. Chanchala Devi: She was shifted to the city's ASAV Hospital in critical condition after the accident, where she breathed her last.

2. Uday Kumar (Vishambarpur, Shivhar): Uday Kumar, an LIC agent by profession, had recently undergone brain surgery. When his family, who were on the ground floor, heard the noise and ran upstairs. They found Kumar dead.

3. Geeta Devi (Distaulia, Kathaiya): Geeta Devi, a patient suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, and dialysis, was admitted to the hospital on June 1.

4. Shashank (Ratanpura, Aurai): Sanjay Chaudhary's son, Shashank, was also fighting for his life in the ICU but succumbed to the fire.

5. Krishnanandan Singh (Gorigama Deeh, Meenapur): He was undergoing treatment at Dr. Sanjeev's unit since May 22 after complaining of fluid in his lungs.

Compensation Of Rs 4 Lakh Announced

District Magistrate (DM) Subrata Kumar Sen and other senior officials, including the Superintendent of Police (SP), all DSPs, and fire officers, arrived at the scene with their teams and supervised the relief work. A heavy police force has been deployed at the hospital. DM Subrata Kumar Sen has announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh each to the dependents of all five deceased.
(With Jagran.com inputs)