A private hospital's alleged refusal to admit some persons injured in a road accident that left six dead in 24 South Parganas district on Tuesday morning enraged locals, who set afire furniture, medical equipment and vehicles leading police to fire in the air to quell the mob.
A matador carrying 30 persons from Lakshmikantapur, collided head-on with a lorry at Patuli in South 24 Parganas district, killing six persons and leaving nine others injured.
Soon after the mishap, a mob of about 200 persons gatecrashed the hospital with the injured and insisted that they be immediately admitted. They went on the rampage after the hospital authorities refused to do so, police said.
The mob then set fire to furniture, medical equipment, including stretchers, and ransacked the restaurant inside the hospital. The mob also set fire to some vehicles present near the hospital obstructing the fire tenders from approaching the spot.
They also damaged the fire tenders, police said. The injured were then rushed to state-run M R Bangur Hospital.
West Bengal Sunderban Affairs Development Minister Kanti Ganguly went to the spot to persuade the mob which fought a pitched battle with the police.
Reinforcements were rushed and the situation was now under control, police said. While the locals alleged that the hospital turned down their plea to offer emergency first-aid to the injured, the hospital authorities were not available for comment.
