DADU: A fire caused extensive damage to the emergency and dialysis section of the Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences in Sehwan on Sunday.

No casualties occurred as the section was closed due to the weekly holiday, Dr Moeenuddin Siddiqui, the retired director of the institute, told local reporters.

Dr Siddiqui believed that the fire might have been caused due to sparks from electrical short circuit at the battery room of the hospital’s Trauma Centre.

The emergency and dialysis section is functioning within the centre.

Sources in the hospitals said that the fire reduced equipment and medicines worth millions of rupees to ashes and also caused damage to fixtures, furniture and paraphernalia, including patients’ beds.

Some patients, their attendants and staff present in the emergency ward were quickly shifted to other wards at the early stage of the incident, the sources said, adding that the fire caused panic among them.

Firefighters from the Sehwan Municipal Committee promptly reached the hospital and extinguished the blaze with the help of the management and employees.

Sehwan Assistant Commissioner (AC) Abid Ali Shah and police were present during the firefighting process.

Mr Shah said the losses were being assessed while the actual cause of fire was being ascertained.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2025