The victims were found unconscious in a lift and were immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead by doctors.

The cause of death was determined to be suffocation, and Fire and Rescue Services personnel discovered the victims after evacuating around 30 patients from the hospital. The evacuated individuals were then admitted to the district’s Government Hospital, officials said.

“A fire broke out at a private hospital about two hours ago. The patients here have been rescued and admitted to nearby government and private hospitals,” Dindigul District Collector MN Poongodi told news agency ANI.

Initial investigations by the police suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. TV footage showed smoke and flames rising from the hospital, with fire trucks deployed to control the blaze.

Deadly Jhansi fire

In November, 11 newborns were killed in a fire at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. The devastating blaze at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the hospital could have been prevented had hospital authorities addressed the recommendations from a safety audit conducted five months earlier.

The safety audit report, dated June 20, 2024, was based on an inspection conducted on June 17 and 18 this year by a two-member team: Chandra Bhushan Chaubey, assistant director of electricity safety in Jhansi, and Mulayam Singh Yadav, electricity safety officer in Jhansi.

The report highlighted serious safety concerns across multiple departments and units, including the administrative building, auditorium, anatomy, and pathology areas. It revealed that several wiring connections were exposed with joints, and junction boxes were left open, significantly increasing the risk of fire.