A fire broke out at a private hospital in north Bengaluru’s M.S. Palya early on Wednesday morning, triggering panic among patients. About 14 patients were evacuated unharmed from the hospital as the fire engulfed the building.

The incident unfolded around 3 a.m. at a hospital on Singapura Road near M.S. Palya. A fire department official told The Hindu that a fire tender was rushed to the spot, and the blaze was brought under control within a few hours.

According to police sources, around eight people were in the ICU and were evacuated using stretchers and wheelchairs. “The authorities contacted a few nearby hospitals and shifted ICU patients to those facilities,” he said.

Preliminary observations by the Fire Department revealed that the blaze erupted after a short circuit triggered a fire in the wiring at the base of the hospital (G+4), which quickly spread across the establishment.

“The attendants at the hospital noticed the fire and alerted others quickly, which led to the swift evacuation of patients,” the police officer said.