A sudden fire broke out on the ground floor of Royal Aid Hospital in Dhaka’s Khilgaon area late on Saturday night, triggering temporary panic among patients, attendants, and medical staff. Two operational firefighting units rushed to the healthcare facility and brought the flames under control within twenty minutes, successfully averting what could have been a catastrophic disaster.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence control room received an emergency alert at around 11:00 pm reporting thick smoke and flames originating from the hospital’s ground-floor generator room. Responding promptly to the distress call, two nearby fire engines and specialist crews deployed to the scene, launching immediate suppression operations to prevent the fire from climbing up the building shafts.
Firefighters managed to fully contain and neutralise the blaze by 11:22 pm, confining the destruction to the utility section on the ground floor.
No casualties or severe injuries have been reported. As thick smoke began permeating the lower corridors, hospital authorities and ward staff initiated swift evacuation procedures, moving admitted patients and their relatives to safer zones within the compound and outside the premises before respiratory distress could occur.
The incident caused widespread alarm throughout the busy neighbourhood, with local residents gathering outside the multi-storey facility as sirens echoed through the streets. The swift containment by the emergency services drew sighs of relief from families of the critically ill, allowing standard inpatient operations to gradually resume once the smoke cleared.
Fire officials confirmed that an inquiry is underway to establish the precise technical fault that sparked the fire and to calculate the financial extent of the damage. Preliminary observations point towards electrical short-circuits or mechanical friction within the backup generator setup, though conclusive findings will depend on a formal forensic assessment.
The outbreak has renewed scrutiny over fire safety protocols and structural compliance in private healthcare establishments across the capital. Emergency services officials noted that investigators will also examine whether the hospital maintained adequate on-site fire extinguishers, operational smoke alarms, and clear emergency exit routes. Specialist teams remained on site late into the night to complete cooling operations and ensure no hidden embers lingered within the electrical wiring conduits.
