AIIMS fire: Guard posted at teaching block raised alarm

A guard posted at the teaching block of the AIIMS here said he was the first to notice the blaze in the building on Saturday evening, following which he informed the control room and started the rescue operation with other officials.

"I was the first to notice the blaze. I informed the control room about it, following which the fire department was alerted," Rajesh Mahato (31) said.

The fire broke out at the teaching block of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on Saturday, destroying samples and medical reports and forcing evacuation of some patients, though no one was injured.

"It was Saturday and the department usually closes by 1 pm. When the fire broke out, there were not many students inside the building, due to which those present could be evacuated on time and there was no casualty," Mahato said.

Patients from some floors of the AB ward, located close to the Microbiology department where the blaze started at around 5 pm, were evacuated along with those in the operation theatres above it as the smoke spread, officials said, adding that the fire was doused within a couple of hours.

The emergency services in the hospital were also affected due to the blaze.