Kolkata, Oct 24 : One patient admitted to a private nursing home at Siliguri in Darjeeling district of West Bengal was killed late on Thursday after a fire broke out at the nursing home after midnight. However, the other patients who had been admitted to the private nursing home could be safely evacuated following prompt action by the hospital staff and the cops who joined the evacuation operations.

It is yet to be clear whether the deceased patient, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital, died because of suffocation due to the smoke from the fire or other causes.

The Deputy Commissioner of Siliguri Metropolitan Police, Rakesh Singh, who rushed to the spot on getting the news of the fire, later told media persons that there had been no impact of the fire on the 12 patients from the general ward and five patients from the ICU and all of them were safe.

The police have started an investigation into the matter and will take appropriate steps as per legal provisions, Singh said.

However, the relatives of the patients have complained about the negligence of the nursing home authorities regarding the lack of adequate provisions to fight such cases of emergency.

They complained that there was a shortage of medical staff at the time of the blaze and not even adequate supporting staff to use the nursing home's fire-fighting equipment when the fire broke out after midnight.

The allegations from the relatives were, to an extent, confirmed by the fire services department official present at the spot, who said that the fire could have been brought under control immediately had the nursing home's fire fighting equipment been effectively used by the staff present there.

The nursing home authorities have, however, denied the allegations. 'There were adequate staff at the hospital when the fire broke out. Although there was initial panic, the crisis was handled effectively. The patients are safe,' said a nursing home spokesman.

Initial investigation has revealed that a short circuit was the reason behind the fire.

/IANS