Nagpur: A fire broke out at a private doctor’s clinic in Ramdaspeth on Saturday, triggering panic at Yugdharma Complex, a five-storey residential-cum-commercial building housing several medical establishments.According to eyewitnesses, a doctor passing by noticed smoke emanating from an air-conditioning unit installed outside Dr Surendra Patil’s clinic. He immediately alerted Dr Patil, who was attending to a patient, and warned other occupants.No injuries were reported, but patients, doctors, and staff evacuated the premises as smoke spread through the building.Bhagwan Wagh, officiating station officer of Cotton Market fire station, said fire tenders reached the spot within six minutes of receiving the alert. By then, occupants had already begun efforts to contain the flames. The fire remained confined to Dr Patil’s OPD chamber, destroying furniture, air-conditioning units, medical equipment, and other valuables.TOI attempted to speak to Dr Patil after the incident, but the physician, visibly shaken, declined to comment.Preliminary findings suggest the fire may have originated in the AC unit. Firefighters brought the blaze under control before it could spread to neighbouring clinics or the residential portion of the building.The incident has raised concerns about safety arrangements in the complex, which eyewitnesses said receives a large number of patients every day. Sources said the building has only one staircase and a lift, with no emergency exit.Fire officials are expected to conduct a detailed inquiry into the cause of the blaze and assess whether the building complies with prescribed fire safety norms. The incident is also likely to renew scrutiny of fire-safety enforcement in older commercial buildings across the city.
