Mumbai ESIC Hospital fire claims 9 lives, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis orders enquiry

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ordered an enquiry into the fire incident at state-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital in Andheri West that claimed eight lives. Expressing grief over the loss of lives, the Chief Minister also prayed for the speedy recovery of injured and assured required assistance.

CM @Dev_Fadnavis ordered enquiry into the fire incident at ESIC Hospital in Andheri. CM spoke to PM @narendramodi &UnionMinister @JPNadda on it.
CM expressed grief over loss of lives&prayed for speedy recovery of the injured and assured that all required assistance will be given.

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) December 18, 2018

Fadnavis also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar over the fire incident.

The death toll in the incident rose to nine on Tuesday morning. The deceased even include a six-month-old girl. Over 145 persons, mostly patients and visitors, were rescued from the scene and suffered injuries.

A massive fire swept through the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Kamgar Hospital at Marol in Andheri East around 4 pm on Monday. It took more than three hours to extinguish the flames.

Most injured persons, who have been admitted to various hospitals in the suburbs, were patients and staffers, informed an official of the Disaster Management Cell of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Gangwar announced Rs 10 lakh each as compensation for the next of the kin of those who died in the massive fire at ESIC Hospital, Mumbai, a statement said. "Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment, Santosh Kumar Gangwar announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident, Rs 2 lakh each for those who have serious injuries and Rs 1 lakh each for those with minor injuries," a labour ministry statement said.

While the exact cause of the blaze was being ascertained, the preliminary report said that building material, kept at the ground floor of the hospital for renovation work caught fire, the ministry said in the statement.

Meanwhile, employees of ESIC Kamgar Hospital protested against lack of adequate facilities on Tuesday.