A fire broke out in one of the buildings of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in central Kolkata on Wednesday morning after which nearly 250 patients were moved to safety from CMCH.

According to reports, the fire started in the pharmacy of the hospital. The fire department was alerted after smoke was spotted from the building that houses the pharmacy at around 8 am. "The fire began in the ground floor of the medical college at around 7.58 a.m. The reason behind the blaze is yet to be ascertained," a fire brigade official was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Though no flames were seen, black smoke billowed from the building.

Apart from the firefighters and the police, West Bengal's disaster management authority officials have also reached the medical college.

There was chaos and panic after the fire broke out. Many patients had to be taken out of the building in stretchers and even bed sheets with their saline drips. Some of the patients were seen lying on the floor.

Some of the patients were moved out of the hospital in ambulances.

(Featured Image: India Today)