PATNA, June 5 -- At least five patients, including a government employee, died when a fire broke out at a private hospital named Prasad Hospital in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district early on Thursday morning, officials confirmed. More than 20 were injured, including two critical, added officials. The blaze erupted around 3 am on the fifth floor of the hospital in the Brahmpura area, and quickly spread through the intensive care unit (ICU), filling it with dense smoke. The fifth floor houses ICU and some other wards. Muzaffarpur DM Subrata Kumar Sen said that 24 patients were admitted in the ICU. "Five patients have died in the blaze. There are several injured persons, who are undergoing treatment at various hospitals," the DM said. Prima facie, the fire appears to have resulted from a short circuit, he said, adding that the exact cause of the blaze can be ascertained after a detailed investigation. Those dead were identified as Shashank Kumar Choudhary (LDC Clerk in finance department, Muzaffarpur), Chanchla Devi (Muzaffarpur), LIC agent Uday Kumar (Sheohar), Geeta Devi (Kathaiya, Muzaffarpur) and Krishnandan Singh (Meenapur, Muzaffarpur). Muzaffarpur SSP Kantesh Mishra told HT that police will be register an FIR against the hospital authority only after recording the statements of victim's family members or written statements. As the blaze intensified, dense smoke rapidly filled several areas, including ICU of the hospital, creating panic among patients, attendants, and medical staff. Rescue personnel and emergency teams promptly arrived at the scene at nearly 4 am and began evacuating. Nearly 23 patients were rescued from the affected sections to safety. The DM said that against the capacity of 13 beds in the ICU, 15 patients were admitted. "The rest of the patients have also been rescued and admitted to nearby hospitals. The in-charge of the ICU ward has also suffered burn injuries," said DM, adding that at first look, it seems like that the fire was caused by a short circuit at the oxygen unit and the monitor system. "An investigation is underway. We will carry out the necessary procedures to find out the real reason for the fire breakout," he said. The DM has ordered an inquiry into the incident. "Every aspect is being investigated. A five-member committee will investigate the matter. This committee has been formed under the leadership of ADM disaster. Action will be taken on the negligence of the hospital," added DM. Director General-cum-Commandant General of Bihar Homeguard and Fire services Shobha Ohatker said that due to the readiness of the fire department team and employees in the Muzaffarpur, many lives were saved. "No one died of the burn injuries, they died due after inhaling smoke," she added. The fire was brought under control after about an hour. The DG further stated that DIG Sudhir Podika rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. Around 45 fire personnel and six fire tenders, including hydraulic system, were pressed into the service. "The fire audit of the hospital were conducted in November 2025 and department had given some necessary instructions," she said. The fire department received an emergency call at 3:55 am and a team was rushed to the scene. They broke open doors and windows to reach patients admitted in the ICU and other wards and safely move them out of the smoke-filled building. "We rescued 15-20 patients from the hospital of which two died on the spot. The other patients have been moved to nearby hospitals," said Ram Niwas Pandey, an official from the fire department in Muzaffarpur. The ICU ward is on the 5th floor, while the waiting hall is on the fourth floor, making rescue work difficult. A fire department official also claimed that when their team reached the scene, most of the hospital staff, including technician and electrician, were not there. "We reached here around 4 am. Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a short circuit. The fire was not very big, but the entire building was filled with smoke, causing a lot of inconvenience to the patients," said a fireman. Family members of some patients have approached authorities claiming they have been unable to trace their relatives following the fire. They created ruckus, ransacked the premises and shouted slogans against the hospital administration. The family members have alleged that after the fire broke out, the doctors and staff of the hospital fled the spot leaving the patients in agony. Some family members are alleging that their patients are missing from the ward. The family members of the patients and locals also protested outside the hospital, encircling its senior management officers when they reached the hospital. After the all-round encirclement, Asif Iqbal, a member of the management committee of Prasad Hospital, issued a video statement and given his explanation. At the time of the accident, 15 patients were in the ICU and the rest were admitted in the CCU. The fire broke out due to a short circuit. He claimed that the doctors and staff posted on duty, with the administrative support, pulled 18 patients out safely and shifted them to other hospitals, the CCTV footage of which is also with the hospital. Chief minister Samrat Choudhary described the incident as "extremely tragic" and expressed condolences to the bereaved families. "Instructions have been issued to immediately provide an ex gratia of Rs.4 lakh to the families of each deceased. The local administration is fully alert, and adequate arrangements have been made in district hospitals for the treatment of the injured," he said in a post on X. Meanwhile, the issue reached the National and State Human Rights Commissions. Advocate for Human Rights Affairs SK Jha has filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), New Delhi, and the State Human Rights Commission, Patna, over the death of patients due to the fire in the hospital. Jha, in the petition filed before both the commissions, described the incident as extremely serious and humanly worrying. He says that an impartial and comprehensive investigation of this incident, which took place in a sensitive place like a hospital, is necessary so that the real cause of the accident can be revealed. The petition has demanded that the entire matter be investigated under the supervision of a retired judge. The lawyer says that only a high-level and independent investigation will make it clear who is responsible for the accident and whether safety standards were ignored....