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Six dead, 147 saved from Mumbai hospital blaze (Lead)
Mumbai, Dec 17 (IANS) The death toll in Mumbai’s hospital fire shot up to six, while another 147, mostly patients and staff, were rescued from a massive blaze that engulfed the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in Andheri (East) here on Monday, BMC Disaster Control said.
The number of fatalities is likely to increase further as several injured persons have been admitted to various hospitals in serious condition even as the firemen battled the conflagration to bring it under control after three hours.
The fire, caused by a suspected short-circuit, was first noticed in the upper floors of the five-storied building with a glass facade in the MIDC area — the industrial hub in the north-western suburb — around 4.15 p.m.
At least 12 fire tenders, 15 water tankers and other specialised equipment were rushed to battle the blaze and those trapped were taken out via ladders from the third and fourth floors as the flames quickly spread horizontally and vertically.
Rescue operations were hampered due to snapping of power supply from the building as a precautionary measure and by 7 p.m the blaze was stated to be “under control”, with cooling operations taken up.
Of those rescued, 19 have been admitted in Juhu’s Cooper Hospital, including two brought dead, 40 in Holy Spirit Hospital, 44 in Seven Hills Hospital including three dead, 39 were taken to Prabodhankar Thackeray Trauma Care Hospital, Jogeshwari, three in Hiranandani Hospital and two in Siddharth Hospital, for treatment.
Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, who visited the spot along with other senior officials, said the fire would be probed and strict action taken against the guilty if any lapses found.
Thick dark clouds of smoke were seen billowing from long distances in the suburbs and the rescue operations resulted in massive evening peak-hour traffic jams on the busy Andheri thoroughfare connecting north-south and eastern Mumbai.
–IANS
qn/nir
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.