Kozhikode MCH fire: Post-mortem to be conducted on bodies of 5 patients who died during blaze

Staff setting up a temporary casualty ward at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, on Saturday following the fire at the PMSSY block on Friday night.
| Photo Credit: K Ragesh

The authorities at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kozhikode, Kerala, have decided to conduct a post-mortem examination of the bodies of five patients who died when fire engulfed its surgical super-speciality block on the night of May 2, 2025 (Friday) to asses the exact cause of their deaths.

The police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) (investigation of deaths under unnatural circumstances). The Fire and Rescue Services, meanwhile, also began an investigation into the cause of the fire at the UPS room of the building, called PMSSY block, constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

Burnt remnants of the UPS system from the PMSSY block of Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:
K Ragesh

According to sources, the deceased are Surendran, 59, a native of Vadakara, Gopalan, 65, a native of West Hill in Kozhikode city, Gangadharan, 70, a native of Koyilandy, all in Kozhikode district, Naseera, 44, a native of Wayanad, and Ganga, 34, from West Bengal. They were reportedly on ventilator support.

200 patients evacuated

The incident occurred around 8 p.m. when a reported short circuit in the battery unit of the UPS led to an explosion and a fire in the ground floor of the building where the casualty ward is located. Soon, the smoke spread to other parts of the building and around 200 patients had to be evacuated and shifted to other wards in the MCH and nearby private hospitals.

T. Siddique, Kalpetta MLA and Congress leader, later alleged in a social media post that at least three people in a serious condition, including one person from his constituency, had died during the evacuation process.

Charges refuted

The hospital authorities, however, refuted the allegation. They claimed that Ganga had died even before reaching the hospital. The others were in a critical condition too. One of them had oral cancer, another had a serious liver dysfunction, the third had a kidney problem and the fourth had severe pneumonia, they claimed. The decision to conduct the post-mortem examination of all the bodies were taken in view of the doubts expressed by the family members and the MLA.

Health Minister Veena George has instructed the Director, Medical Education, to conduct an inquiry into the incident. She is expected to reach the hospital for a visit by Saturday afternoon.

Arrangements had been made to set up a temporary casualty section at the Government General Hospital near the Kozhikode beach. District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh said a help desk (7356657221) too would function from there.