One person died while patients were being evacuated after a fire broke out at Khulna Medical College Hospital. Five others, including nurses, were injured while trying to escape the blaze in panic, with some jumping to safety.

The fire broke out around 5:30am on Wednesday on the third floor of the hospital’s four-story building. After the flames spread, several oxygen cylinders and old air conditioners exploded, damaging part of a wall and filling the area with thick smoke.

The deceased patient, Nasrin Nahar, was admitted to the hospital’s ICU. She was the daughter of Nesar Ali from Koyra upazila in Khulna.

The injured include hospital staff member Saidur Rahman, 50, and senior staff nurses Nowrin, Dipali, and Sharmin. A fire service member named Touhid was also injured.

ICU in-charge Dilip Kumar said: “The fire started in a room beside the old ICU building where old clothes and some equipment were stored. As the fire spread, several oxygen cylinders and old AC units exploded, damaging part of the wall and causing thick smoke across the area."

“Amid the smoke, we were transferring patients. At that time, the relatives of patient Nasrin Nahar became panicked and tried to move her themselves. She died after being taken outside. There is a specific process for transferring ICU patients. The incident may have occurred because they attempted to move her after disconnecting the ventilation support on their own.”

Sources said that when the fire broke out at dawn, patients and their relatives were asleep. Panic spread throughout the hospital after smoke filled the building. Following the sound of explosions, many patients and relatives rushed out of their wards and gathered on the hospital grounds and nearby roads.

Fire Service official Masud said they initially suspected the fire originated from an electrical short circuit. Work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage.