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Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Panic gripped the busy Gajanan Maharaj Chowk area on Sunday night after a major fire broke out at Gajanan Hospital on Gajanan Maharaj Road. Despite the intensity of the blaze, all patients were rescued safely, and no casualties were reported, though the hospital suffered significant damage.

According to officials, the fire erupted on the third floor around 8:15 pm, reportedly due to a short circuit in an air conditioner (AC). The flames spread rapidly across the floor, intensifying within minutes and engulfing the entire section. The third floor was completely gutted in the incident.

Hospital staff acted swiftly, immediately alerting the fire brigade and attempting to control the flames using fire extinguishers. Within minutes, two fire tenders reached the spot and launched a coordinated firefighting operation. The blaze was brought under control by around 9:00 pm.

As a precautionary measure, all patients were promptly evacuated and shifted to nearby government as well as private hospitals with the help of ambulances. Authorities confirmed that the timely evacuation prevented what could have turned into a major tragedy, especially considering that Gajanan Hospital is a busy critical care facility that typically handles a large number of patients.

However, rescue operations faced some difficulty as a large crowd gathered at the scene, causing temporary obstruction for emergency responders.

Following the incident, cooling operations were carried out to prevent reignition, and officials initiated a panchanama to assess the extent of damage. Preliminary reports indicate heavy financial losses due to the destruction of infrastructure on the affected floor.

Authorities are expected to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident, focusing on electrical safety and fire preparedness measures at the hospital.