At least seven people including two women, have been killed in a fire that broke at Swarna Palace Hotel in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh on at around 5 AM on Sunday. It was being used as Covid-19 facility. There were about 30 patients who were being treated at the third, fourth, and fifth floors of the hotel. The fire brigade came in action quickly, and several fire tenders rushed to the scene.
#UPDATE – Seven people have lost their lives and 30 have been rescued: Vijaywada Police https://t.co/9hs9dow2mV
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2020
CM ordered probe
Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the officials to initiate rescue operations and offer medical treatment to the patients immediately. He also ordered a probe into the accident. As per the reports, the fire might have been caused by an electric short circuit on the first floor, and the fire spread the other floors quickly.
CMO Andhra Pradesh tweeted, “S Jagan expressed shock over the accident at a hotel in Vijayawada.” They added that the Chief Minister directed the authorities to conduct an in-depth inquiry into the incident.
విజయవాడలో ఒక హోటల్లో జరిగిన ప్రమాద ఘటనపై సీఎం శ్రీ వైయస్.జగన్ దిగ్భ్రాంతి వ్యక్తం చేశారు. ఒక ప్రైవేటు ఆస్పత్రి ఈ హోటల్ను లీజుకు తీసుకుందని, అందులో కరోనా వైరస్ సోకిన పేషెంట్లను పెట్టినట్టుగా ప్రాథమిక విచారణలో వెల్లడైందని అధికారులు సీఎంకు వెల్లడించారు.
— CMO Andhra Pradesh (@AndhraPradeshCM) August 9, 2020
Vijayawada Police Commissioner Srinivasulu rushed to the accident spot to take charge of the rescue operations. He said that the police was informed about the accident at around 5:15 AM. He added that seven people have died due to suffocation and they have recovered their bodies.
Some eyewitnesses reported that they have seen patients, medical staff and hotel employees jumping out from the second and third floors of the hotel while the fire brigade was rescuing patients.
The incident comes days after a massive fire in Ahmedabad’s Shrey Hospital claimed lives of 8 patients. The hospital was also a dedicated coronavirus facility.
