A major fire broke out in the pharmacy department of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital early on Wednesday. No casualty has been reported in the incident so far.
At least 250 patients were evacuated and are being shifted to other state-run hospitals.
Firefighting operations are underway at the hospital. West Bengal’s disaster management authorities have also reached the medical college.
No one has been injured in the the blaze that broke out at 8 am in the dispensary located on the ground floor. Ten fire tenders have been engaged for taming the fire, the officials said.
As soon as the fire broke out, patients were seen being taken out on stretchers, reports said.
According to reports, some patients reportedly tried to jump out of windows to save themselves as smoke engulfed the building.
The Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, commonly referred to as Calcutta Medical College, was established in 1835 and is the second oldest medical college in India after Ecole de Medecine of Puducherry.
Thick smoke was seen billowing from the ground floor of the hospital’s main building where the dispensary is housed. Medicines stocked in the dispensary were reduced to ashes.
(With PTI inputs)