Fire fighting ops on. pic.twitter.com/BrBAeWJcVx ANI (@ANI_news) October 17, 2016BHUBANESWAR: At least 24 persons died after a devastating fire broke out at SUM hospital, a leading private healthcare institute, here on Monday evening.

Earlier, a local legislator, Vijay Mohanti, said the fire broke out late Monday and spread to the intensive care unit at the private Sum Hospital in Bhubneswar.

The fire rapidly spread to other areas on the same floor of the four-storeyed hospital building. "While 14 have died in Capital Hospital, eight died in AMRI Hospitals", said Akhila Bihari Ota, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central).

Rescue operations are underway at SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar. "We had to carefully drop the patients by tying them with clothes", said a fire service officer.

He said two of the critically injured patients have been admitted in the ICU of Capital Hospital.

Chaos reigned in the hospital for nearly two hours as hospital authorities and fire service officials tried to evacuate the patients from the wards.

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Since most patients in ICU can not move on their own, the focus of the rescue operations is presently on the first floor of the hospital where the ICU is located.

While panicked patients tried to jump off the windows, firemen were seen bundling them in clothes while rescuing them from the second floor.

Dozens of patients were taken to other medical facilities in the city.

Voicing "serious" concern over the fire incident at the Sum Hospital, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described the mishap as "very tragic". The tragedy is mind-numbing.

The state government has ordered a probe into the incident.

Reacting to the news of the tragedy, prime minister Narendra Modi said, "Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha".