Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 A fire broke out in a section of the multi-specialty block of the government medical college here on Tuesday, but no one was injured in the incident, hospital authorities said.
The fire was caused by a short circuit in a ventilator in the surgical ICU, they added.
No one was injured in the incident, they said, adding that patients have been evacuated from the surgical ICU on the first floor of the building.
State Health Minister Veena George said that an investigation will be conducted to determine how the short circuit occurred in the ventilator.
She said that there were 32 patients in the surgical ICU and all of them were safely evacuated.
"The hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, acted according to the protocol for such incidents. They also evacuated patients from other floors as needed," the minister said.
She said that the electrical inspectors had examined the hospital and found no other issues.
Earlier in the day, family members of patients told the media that there was a lot of smoke in the surgical ICU due to the fire.
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor V V Rajesh, in the morning, reached the hospital and said, according to information he received, the fire has been brought under control.
He also said that no one was injured in the incident and everyone was safe.
The mayor said that all ventilators were also being inspected.
Fire force officials, who reached the spot, said that there was smoke, but the area has been ventilated.
