A fire erupted at a private hospital near Lady Reading Hospital on GT Road in Peshawar on Sunday evening, injuring three people and causing panic among the patients and staff.
According to rescue sources, the fire broke out on the third and fourth floors of the hospital, where the intensive care unit and the operation theatre were located. Five fire brigade vehicles, two water bowsers, heavy machinery and snorkels were used to bring the fire under control. The building was still filled with smoke, which was being cleared by smoke ejectors.
Sources said that 13 people who were trapped inside the hospital were safely evacuated, out of which three injured were shifted to a nearby hospital. Rescue 1122 teams comprising of rescuers, firefighters and paramedics were searching and clearing the building from different parts.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but some eyewitnesses said that it might have been triggered by a short circuit. The hospital administration has not issued any official statement on the incident so far.
The fire has raised questions about the safety standards and fire prevention measures at the private hospitals in the city, which often lack proper equipment and trained staff to deal with such emergencies.