Quick evacuation after fire breaks out in Cath Lab at Anandalok Hospital, Salt Lake
Telegraph | 23 April 2026
A fire at Anandalok Hospital in Salt Lake on Tuesday morning forced authorities to evacuate all patients and suspend operations for the day. The fire started inside the Cath Lab.
An employee of the hospital said some people noticed smoke on the first floor and alerted others.
There were several patients inside the Cath Lab.
“Some of the procedures had been completed, while some patients were waiting for their procedures. We immediately started evacuating the patients and informed the fire brigade,” said the employee.
Another hospital employee said there were about 50 patients across various departments when the fire broke out on Tuesday. They were shifted to two other hospitals of the group, in CK and CL Blocks of Salt Lake.
A fire brigade officer said four tenders doused the flames. “No one was injured,” the officer said, adding that firefighters smashed the glass panes of several doors and windows to vent the trapped smoke.
Nurses and other hospital employees were seen escorting some patients to ambulances that took them away. A video shot by an outsider when the fire broke out showed flames leaping from a first-floor window. Smoke was seen coming out of the windows on the upper floors.
Champak Sarkar, a resident of Singhabari off EM Bypass, had come to the hospital for admission ahead of a gallbladder stone surgery scheduled for Wednesday.
“When I arrived, the hospital was in darkness. Fire brigade personnel were still trying to douse the flames. I don’t know when my surgery will now take place. I couldn’t reach anyone on Tuesday, but I will try again on Wednesday. I heard the staff acted quickly and ensured everyone was evacuated safely,” he said.
According to Bidhannagar police, the preliminary inquiry has revealed that the fire originated from an air conditioner in a lab on the first floor.
The fire at Anandalok brought back memories of the devastating fire at AMRI Hospital, Dhakuria, in 2011 that killed nearly 90 people.
However, the promptness of hospital staff and others helped evacuate patients quickly.
Dozens of oxygen cylinders were seen stacked on the road outside the hospital. An employee said they were moved out immediately after the fire broke out, fearing the consequences if the flames spread.
“Even hawkers and local shopkeepers helped the hospital staff during the evacuation,” a man said.