Judicial inquiry ordered into AMRI fire, forensic probe yet to start

KOLKATA: A judicial inquiry was tonight ordered by West Bengal government into the fire at the AMRI Hospital even as a forensic investigations into the incident failed to take off due to water-logging in the hospital.

"The state government has decided to order a judicial inquiry into the hospital fire," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters here.

"Since people have faith in the judicial system and a tragedy of huge dimension has occurred, we have taken this decision. We have nothing to hide," Banerjee told reporters.

She said the police investigation would continue simultaneously.

Commissioner of Kolkata Police R K Pachnanda told PTI that one more patient from AMRI died during the day, taking the toll to 91.

Police sources said the identity of the body was yet to be established.

A state Forensic Research Laboratory team will visit the hospital basement, where the fire was believed to have orginated, tomorrow.

It was unable to begin investigations today because of water-logging there caused by yesterday's fire-fighting operations, the police said adding the probe will start once the water is drained out.

Slapped with charges of culpable homicide and negligence, six directors of the super-speciality hospital were today remanded to 10-days police custody by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Alipur court, S M Shahnawaz.