Fire in KMC, two women dead

Two women died of asphyxiation in a fire at the Intensive Care Unit of the government Kilpauk Medical Centre early Saturday morning.

The victims, Krishnabai (72) and Tamizharasi (44) hail from Chennai. According to hospital authorities the fire was caused by a faulty air conditioner in the ICU.

There were eight patients in all in the ICU and all of them were safely taken out of the room but the victims were critically ill patients who had been admitted with serious complications.

Tamizharasi suffered from seizures and was admitted on Friday night around 8:45 p.m. while Krishnabai, who suffered from high BP and blood sugar, had been admitted on July 20.

The hospital authorities have instituted an enquiry. The rest of the patients have been shifted to intensive coronary care unit in the same hospital.