One of the patients was in a critical condition as fire broke out in an operation theatre of the Emergency Department of the Services Hospital in Lahore, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

As soon as the fire erupted, the hospital staff and people started shifting the patients to other wards, as smoke engulfed the entire building, forcing the rescue and fire brigade to shatter the windowpanes.

Later, the firefighters managed to control the fire and minimise the damages, with all the patients and staff members evacuated from the affected section of the building.

The state-run Services Hospital, located on the busy Jail Road, is one of the top hospitals not only in the city but also the province. It is adjacent to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, another important health facility of Lahore, which is visited by the people from across the province for specialised healthcare services.

Thousands of people rely on these hospitals for 24-hour healthcare services too as the population is multiplying in the city and the adjoining areas.