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The families of patients and witnesses Friday recounted harrowing tales of a fire at AMRI Hospital that claimed at least 73 lives, saying the authorities neither woke up to the danger on time nor allowed locals to help rescue trapped victims. "We were sleeping. Then we heard someone screaming that there was a fire," said a woman who was inside the hospital.
Some said the the hospital authorities kept giving false assurances.
"We were told 'don't worry, nothing will happen'," said a man quoting the hospital staff.
The disconsolate brother of a victim lamented: "My elder sister was on the third floor. She had jaundice. She was to be discharged today. I am told that she is dead.
"People from nearby slums tried to help but the authorities did not allow them. Instead those who wanted to rescue patients were harassed. Had they not helped, half the patients in the building would have died."
A youth had a similar tale of woe. "When the fire broke out there were fumes. They did not allow any locals to enter the hospital premises. I was the one who dialled the fire brigade number."
Many said victims were suffocated after the fire started after 3 a.m. in the basement and then spread rapidly to other floors.
"I wanted to take my patient home. I went to the ward, asked the doctor to allow me to take out the patients who were all serious as they had suffered strokes. But the doctor did not help me," the youth said.
Some patients were from outside Kolkata."We live in Kalyna (in Nadia district). They did not inform us. They did not allow us to enter," moaned the relative of another victim.
A woman in her 30s complained that while the hospital charged high fees, it lacked fire fighting equipment.
"My brother had suffered a stroke and was admitted. We wanted to shift him to SSKM Hospital because of the exorbitant cost here. The expenses were Rs.5.5 lakh in 19 days," she said.
But as many victims' families discovered to their horror Friday, that a place where lives were supposed to be saved turned into their death bed.
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