Tragic Hospital Fire in Calcutta: Are We Ignoring Fire Safety in High-Rise Buildings?

Tragic Fire Incident in Calcutta Hospital

A very sad news: Today, at least 73 people have been killed in a fire that broke out in a hospital in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta (Kolkata). I am attaching the report of the same which I got from the internet.

The Government of India should now think very seriously about the real implementation of set rules for Fire Safety of High Rise Buildings. Otherwise, these kinds of incidents and news may become a very common thing.

The causes of this fire are not known. But why was this fire allowed to turn into a dangerous one? Why was there not an earlier detection and extinguishing of the same?

http://BBC News - India hospital fir...a kills dozens
BBC News - In pictures: Calcutta hospital fire

Thank you.

It is so sad to see such news. Now is the time to wake up and beef up our fire security arrangements in all high-rise buildings, government offices, and hospitals. Let the Almighty keep the departed souls to rest in peace.

Keep on sharing, Mr. Dipil

I am very sad to hear this. When our government revises our laws regarding high-rise buildings, like in Gulf Countries, only then can we stop or avoid such kinds of accidents in our country. Emergency response plans compulsory by year's end - The National

Thank you.

Fire Safety Regulations in Andhra Pradesh

Already, the rules are available in Andhra Pradesh State. For getting approval, high-rise buildings must have fire-fighting provisions, a fire overhead tank, and an underground sump with all fire equipment. Even fire and smoke detectors are to be fitted to obtain approval from the Municipal office, and only then will electricity connections be given.

The same should be adopted in all the states of India. Only then can such accidents be avoided.

Regards

Tragic Fire Accidents in India

It's really very sad news that almost 73 people died and many were seriously injured in a Kolkata hospital fire. Nearly all victims choked to death on the upper floors in the wee hours. This is one example; like this, many lives have been lost in previous fire accidents as well.

Notable Fire Accidents in India

1) August 6, 2001: Close to 30 mentally ill people died in a mental asylum fire in Erode, Tamil Nadu.

2) January 23, 2004: A marriage hall fire killed 50 in Srinagar, Tamil Nadu.

3) July 16, 2004: 94 children were killed in a fire accident at a school in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.

4) September 15, 2005: 35 people were killed and over 50 injured as a fire broke out in illegal firecracker factories in Khusrupur village of Bihar.

5) April 10, 2006: Over 60 were killed and more than 80 injured in a tent trade fair in Meerut.

6) February 23, 2010: Nine were killed and over 60 injured in the Carlton Towers fire, Bangalore.

7) March 23, 2010: 43 died in the Park Street building fire in Kolkata.

8) November 20, 2011: 14 were killed and over 50 injured in a fire accident at a community function of Eunuchs in Nand Nagari, Delhi.

9) December 9, 2011: Over 80 were killed as a fire broke out at AMRI Hospital, Kolkata.

Call for Government Action

It is really shocking news when studying the statistics of fire accidents. Even after repeated fire accidents, why is our government taking these incidents lightly and not ready to draft amendments to control fire accidents? It is really sorry to write here that no party or system is ready to give their agenda in the interest of the security of the nation and the well-being of the people to live safely by taking proactive roles. Now, at least the government should wake up and introspect on what actions they have taken so far to mitigate and control these fire accidents.

Regards,
Vali Basha.

Tragic Incident Highlights Safety Negligence

Really very sad news. In hospitals, people go for their treatments or their relatives' treatments. It's a truly shameful accident for our government or the concerned hospital management. It shows their laziness in security and safety.

In our country, especially in government departments, people are not following safety norms because they are not educated on safety. If any incident or accident happens in India, everyone blames each other. People say, "No safety at a particular place, that's why the incident/accident happened." However, they actually know which safety precautions and standards should be followed in hospitals, railway stations, bus stations, temples, mosques, and other crowded places.

In our great country, government licenses are easily available if you pay a bribe to government employees. They will not check any safety criteria; they will immediately issue a license to you.

India cannot change until corruption, unemployment, and other problems are resolved.

Thanks & Regards.

Health, Safety, and Environmental Laws: A Global Perspective

This is my first 'tweet' on Citehr, which I have just joined. As a complete outsider (by this, I mean non-Indian), it is concerning that either the owners and/or the administrators should be allowed to get away with sheer criminal neglect—I believe this is the second time?! Health, safety, and environmental laws are on the statute books for a good reason (in fact, this reason!) and should be obeyed.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

Regards,
Peter Streng (DRC)

Clarification on the Thread Heading

One thing I want to mention about the heading of this thread. It reads as "Calcutta Hospital fire." There is a nursing home in Kolkata, namely Calcutta Medical Research Institute, which is locally known as Calcutta Hospital. The incident occurred at AMRI. Hence, the heading is a bit misleading.

Tragedy and Negligence in Kolkata

It is the saddest happening the city has faced in recent past. Patients who go to hospitals and nursing homes for treatment and cure lost their lives not due to their disease and ailment but due to the utter negligence of the authority. It was an eye-opener regarding the conditions of the nursing homes in our country, which from the outside are dazzling, but inside they are death traps. Ninety innocent lives were lost.

Questions on Accountability and Justice

Will the authority be punished? Even if they are punished, what will be the level of punishment? What exactly should be the punishment given to these mass murderers? Though the police have arrested the Board of Managing Directors of AMRI, which is co-owned by Emami and Srachi Group, in our country, we all know how much money power matters.

Really very sad... The Indian government must set strict fire and safety norms for high-rise buildings.

The Need for Stricter Laws and Responsive Administration

Stricter laws, responsive administration, and authorities would be a welcome expectation. Looking at ourselves, even these, if put into practice, lose their sheen after some time. The outgrowth overtakes the control mechanisms. Either they become corrupt, outdated, or fatalistic.

The young and responsive class needs to join hands and question, as enlightened groups, anything which is irregular, negligent, evasive, inefficient, or arrogant. Only such enlightened crusades may bring a sense of responsibility, which in effect would make the laws more effective and life more transparent.

Really, it's a very sad situation. For the prevention of such occurrences in the future, the Government of India must take this matter more seriously.

I thank everyone for the comments posted by each individual. Based on what I saw on TV and what was published in the newspapers, I think there can be two legal deviations by the Hospital Authorities:

Legal Deviations by Hospital Authorities

1. Following the National Building Code.
2. Explosives Act.

In India, both of these are in place. According to me, it is the responsibility of every enterprise to obey Health and Safety rules and regulations. If somebody is offering a bribe, he is the major culprit. We, as citizens of this country, have to encourage legal working. I am a strong believer in the phrase "improvement begins with me."

Real-life Examples of Legal Compliance

To justify my thoughts, I can give some real-life examples where I tried to follow legal aspects:

1. When I was about to go to a dentist, I asked him how he disposes of the biomedical waste. In two cases, the dentists were not aware of the disposal requirements. I did not go to them. The third one, although a little farther away, was aware and complying. I went to that dentist.

2. The PUC requirement for 2/4 wheelers is compulsory as per the Motor Vehicle Act. I suggested to our management to have a PUC checkup camp. We negotiated better rates, and the facility was made available to all our employees at discounted rates. As a result, about 1000+ 2/4 wheelers were checked for emission levels; at least 10% were exceeding the norms. The owners of these vehicles were motivated to get servicing done and get the PUC again. Later, the repeat camp was held exactly before the expiry of the previous camp. We received an overwhelming response. The law was followed, reducing the opportunities for corruption.

3. I have never allowed my relatives to drive 2/4 wheelers. First, I made it compulsory for them to get a license, and then they were allowed to drive.

4. The effluent parameters and stack emission checks are started on a monthly basis. The samples that the State Pollution Board collects every month, another set of samples from the same batch is given to a CPCB approved lab. In case there are differences, we write a letter to the PCB.

5. Although the emission/stack reports are okay, we have further made improvements in the plants and submitted a letter on the improvements made to the PCB. This was a proactive step taken.

6. I was fortunate to visit some Eastern and Western countries. The main difference in road transport is the use of lights and horns. We hardly hear the horns in these countries, and they never use upper lights during traveling by car/bus. (In India, "HORN PLEASE" is written on every truck.) When I drive a car, I try to use horns as minimally as possible and use dipper at night.

If we think of compliance for ourselves and in our area of influence, it is okay. The person who works in the EHS department is well aware of compliances. I appeal to all to have 100% compliance, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption.

Regards,
Sudhir

It was a very horrible incident that took place in a Kolkata hospital. More than 90 people died in it. The guilty persons must be sent behind bars.

It's really very sad news, as the State government has given the order to seal the hospitals. Can anybody share what would happen in that case with the employees associated with the hospitals and what liabilities the employer has towards employees?

Very sad to hear about such a painful incident. Patients visit hospitals for disease recovery, but to see the same hospital being responsible for such a miserable incident is disheartening. Why was the management so careless? It clearly shows their negligence. Keep sharing such incidents.

Thanks for your detailed reply. It's really a good sort of thinking and initiative from your side. If all of us start thinking in this manner and if the industrialists start looking at safety as one of their business values, surely change will come in the upcoming days. Let's hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Dear All, Thanks for sharing your views on this thread. I believe that engaging in these discussions on this forum may not bring about significant change in the current scenario in India. However, my primary goal is for each of us as individuals to pledge to do our best in our respective roles to prevent accidents.

Now, everything depends on how the government enforces the existing laws. Let's wait with the hope that better times are on the horizon.

Thanks to all once again.

We all pay lip service initially, and then the whole episode is forgotten. I carry out fire evacuation and prevention training for the builders I am working for across India. Every time, it's a task getting all the tenant companies to participate as they have more important issues like business meetings, teleconferences, or training. It's high time our government stepped in to cancel all occupancy certificates of buildings without fire NOC.

Thanks, Dipil, for starting this thread.

A very good discussion on this topic. We are talking about compliance. It's good and needed. Additionally, we need to address another topic that I heard about: a news story where hospital staff and doctors ran away from the hospital during an incident, showing no concern for the patients.

Why Did This Happen?

Were the hospital staff adequately trained to act during emergencies and follow the emergency evacuation procedures? If they had been trained properly, they might have saved some lives, which could have made a difference.

We need to ensure that proper training is made mandatory for everyone so they can act during emergencies and save at least some lives.

Dear Mr. Sudhir, I was really excited to see your inputs. Your compliance is motivating.

I also think about the drivers who use high beam lights on small roads without the common sense to use low beams. At night, many two-wheelers and cyclists are blinded by this.

Your point gave me the idea of implementing the PUC check at our site as well. I will propose the same to my management.

Regards

I have been observing the discussion from the beginning. It's a very sad incident. Based on the data available so far, the suspected root cause of this incident is "flammable material stored in the basement of the building," and the reason for death is "the poisonous smoke was sucked by air conditioning ducts, spread into all rooms, and further the oxygen deficiency."

Let us continue this discussion to determine the exact root cause, which will help suggest appropriate preventive measures. Hence, I request all members to come forward with any details whenever available to them.

I am sharing a presentation we received containing additional information on the AMRI Fire. This information is intended for your review and for implementing the learnings.

Thank you.

Understanding HVAC Systems and Fire Safety

First, we have to understand that an HVAC system is comprised of electrical, mechanical, and instrumentation components. If any one of them fails, it will not work properly.

Fire/Smoke Dampers: Function and Importance

Fire/smoke dampers are electromechanical systems that prevent fire from spreading inside the ducts. These systems include safety sensors such as temperature sensors and smoke detectors. If the air temperature rises above a certain level, the damper will close via the temperature sensor. If smoke is detected in the ducting system, the damper will close through the smoke detector. Even in the case of a false alarm from the fire safety systems, the dampers will be closed.

Fire-rated sealants and cements are used in the construction of fire dampers to prevent fire around them. There is a possibility of damper malfunction due to a lack of preventive maintenance.

Role of Fire/Smoke Dampers in HVAC Systems

It is evident that fire/smoke dampers play a crucial role in preventing the spread of fire/smoke through the AC ducting system. The HVAC system should be designed so that in the event of a fire emergency, the supply air from AHUs should be stopped, and the exhaust system should run continuously at full RPM to remove smoke from the buildings. The exhaust system should be powered by emergency sources. With this design, the chances of fire/smoke spreading through the AC ducting system are minimized.

In the presentation, it was mentioned that the fire safety system was inactive. This could be why the smoke/fire dampers did not work, possibly due to a lack of maintenance practices.

It is true that when fire/smoke dampers are operational and closed, the chances of fatalities due to suffocation are significantly reduced.

Dear Kanathan, First of all, let me welcome you to the EHS Forum. Thank you for sharing your opinion, which will educate our members about the importance of maintaining Fire Protection Equipment at all times. According to your viewpoint, if the temperature or smoke sensor had been functioning properly, the number of casualties might have been reduced or even prevented.

Keep participating and share your feedback, ideas, and comments in all safety-related threads.

Thank you.
Regards

Thank you very much for restarting the discussion. Requesting other members to come forward with some more inputs.

Detailed Information on HVAC Systems and Fire Safety

@Dipil, your presentation has detailed information, thank you very much.

@Raghu and Kanathan, based on the discussion with one of my colleagues working in HVAC systems, many buildings are not provided with sensors inside the ducts even though they have a fire alarm system. If sensors are not provided in the ducts, the fire dampers will be equipped with lead at the springs, creating a purely mechanical system. This lead will melt at high temperatures, causing the fire dampers to close. In most fire cases, smoke is the problem, and often the fire does not reach the dampers, so they will not close.

Please comment on my inputs.

Dear Bhaskar, thanks for your inputs. Keep on encouraging us.

Dear Srinivasa Rao, you added a valid point from your side regarding our discussion. Thanks for your input.

Team,

See the attached NFPA and other international codes for INSPECTION CODES of FIRE AND SMOKE DAMPER for your use.

Please find the attached presentation. It may help you better understand fire and smoke dampers.