Fire in Guj building housing kids' hosp; no casualties

A fire broke out in a four- storey building housing a children's hospital in Ahmedabad on Monday, an official said.

No casualty was reported in the mishap, he said.

The blaze erupted in a fibre shed on the terrace of the Dev Complex building, that has a children's hospital on the fourth floor, in the Parimal Garden area here, the fire official said.

All the patients, mostly newborns admitted in the Apple Children Multi-Speciality Hospital, were evacuated safely, he said.

The building also has clinics, hotels and other commercial establishments on other floors, an official said.

"A fibre shed in the building caught fire, resulting in a lot of smoke in the premises. Two fire-fighting vehicles and four water tankers were rushed to the spot and the blaze was controlled in 15 minutes," Ahmedabad civic body's chief fire officer M F Dastur said.

Additional Chief Fire Officer, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Rajesh Bhatt said the fibre shed built on the terrace of the building served as a canteen.

"The fibre shed caught fire due to LPG leakage," Bhatt added.

He said a probe has been instituted to find out if the canteen on the terrace was authorised or not, adding that it was constructed by the hospital to provide food to patients and staff.

"Whether this (canteen) is unauthorised construction or whether it has been regularised will be investigated. The estate department will investigate the matter," Bhatt said.