Mumbai, Sep 21 (Mumbai Mirror): A fire broke out in the ICCU on the fifth floor of the seven-storeyed Surana Sethia Hospital in Chembur on Sunday evening.

Preliminary cause of the fire, which began at 6.30 pm, was said to be a shortcircuit caused in an AC duct.

Staff members said that the 150-bed hospital had about 50 patients with over 10 patients in the ICU, including some who had undergone surgeries in the day.

"There was a loud sound like a blast and a lot of commotion and smoke. We feared there will be complications because of suffocation for already ailing patients," said a staff member. A ward boy told Mirror that the lift was shut making it difficult to bring patients down to safety. "I had to pick up a patient and bring him down the staircase," he said.

The hospital staff as well as relatives of patients also called for ambulances to immediately shift critical patients. Patients were shifted to Sushrut and Joy Hospital in Chembur and Sion. "My father who has undergone an angioplasty was on the fourth floor. I called an ambulance and got him shifted.

There were at least 10 ambulances here," said Tushar Gaikwad. Fire brigade officials said it was a grade one fire with at least 20 fire brigade vehicles brought for the rescue. "Six Patients were rescued from the terrace and about 37 others were rescued through the staircase; some were removed by breaking the glass on the building," a fire brigade official said. Dr Prince Surana, the owner said that all the patients have been shifted to other hospitals safely and there have been no casualties.