A fire at a private hospital in Muzaffarpur killed at least four people.
More than 20 patients were injured and several remain critical.
A short circuit is suspected, while authorities investigate the cause.
A fire broke out at a private hospital in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, claiming the lives of at least four people. The incident took place at Prasad Hospital in Muzaffarpur's Brahmapura locality. The death toll may rise further as rescue operations are still underway.
According to preliminary reports, a short circuit is suspected to have caused the blaze, though the exact cause will only be confirmed after a detailed investigation.
"At first look, it seems like a short circuit at the oxygen unit and the monitor system. An investigation is underway,” said Subrata Kumar Sen, the District Magistrate of Muzaffarpur.
More than 20 patients were reportedly injured in the incident and are being treated at nearby hospitals. Several of the injured are said to be in critical condition.
Official Response
Sen also confirmed that four people had lost their lives in the incident, while the status of all patients admitted to the hospital at the time of the fire was still being ascertained.
“The ICU in-charge of the hospital is also gravely injured. He has been admitted to a nearby hospital. We have to verify the exact number of casualties. Currently, four deaths have been confirmed,” he said.
The victims have been identified as Shashank Kumar, Uday Kumar, Geeta Devi and Brijnand Rai.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, in a post on X, described the incident as “extremely tragic” and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
He also announced an ex gratia payment of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased.
“The local administration is fully alert, and adequate arrangements have been made in district hospitals for the treatment of the injured,” he added.
Smoke Made Rescue Difficult
Ram Niwas Pandey, a fire department official, said the department received information about the blaze at around 3 a.m.
By the time firefighters reached the hospital, the blaze had spread rapidly through the intensive care unit, filling it with dense smoke and making rescue operations difficult.
Approximately a dozen fire tenders were deployed to the scene to bring the fire under control. In a rescue operation that lasted several hours, around 20 patients were safely evacuated from the hospital.
The incident, the second fatal fire reported in two days, has reignited questions about fire safety norms in India.
